


Home of the Sun

by Nahella



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nahella/pseuds/Nahella
Summary: The loss of your only family was devastating, but the Whitebeard pirates teach you that family can be more than just the bonds of blood. While you'd never imagined living life as a pirate; you find perhaps it was just the life for you. But can you handle the heat when feelings start to brew?
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Reader
Comments: 26
Kudos: 57





	1. Goodbye, halcyon days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forewarning that the first two or three chapters are going to be pretty heavy and full of angst. I imagine things will ease up over time (as all wounds tend to). I plan on adding the appropriate tags to the story as I add them in. Also, the devil fruit is one I did made up.  
> The words in [ ] are select one piece soundtracks you can choose to listen to while reading since I always tend to write to some sort of music track.

Clammy hands barely managed to keep the hilt of the blade steady. You could feel the blood pulsing in your veins form to ice. The cool steel against your chest was enough to force the adrenaline in your system to kick into overdrive. Your lungs felt starved of air and the cool sweat forming on your skin only furthered the chill of the night air. The thought of plunging the blade through your chest was a heavy one and your whole body convulsed under the weight of the choice before you. But you already knew. There was only one choice to be made. The sound of merry conversation grew closer in the distance. With one deft motion, your eyes closed and the blade was plunged into your chest. _You were going to kill Whitebeard no matter the cost._

\------ Approximately 10 hours prior-------  
[Worlds number one oden store]  


“Garrin! If you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late you know.” You watched and couldn’t help but stifle a few giggles as your little brother nearly toppled over his own unlaced shoes. His arms spun widely in the air as if intimating a windmill in the sharp autumn breeze. He stopped just short of face planting into the wooden floorboards. You could almost hear the “Safe!” from within his thoughts. 

All that, and he’d still managed to keep the ham sandwich from falling through his teeth. 

“Gwust Gwib Me ah miwnute!” Half chewed bread crumbs broke free from his lips as he tried to respond with the half eaten sandwich hanging from his maw.

“I’ve given you ten already! And don’t talk with your mouth full, you’re wasting food that way.” You sighed, deciding to help him with his shoelaces for the tenth time this week. You wondered how he still couldn’t seem to get the hang of it. You hated the idea of coercing him to learn through his ideology of pirates; but at this point were close to simply making the argument he wouldn’t be one if he couldn’t tie something as simple as a lace. 

The corners of your lips tugged downwards noticing the red lines drawn across his shin. They were still fresh, and a scab had yet to form over. 

“How’d that happen?” 

“Oh! I fell down trying to climb one of the trees. I’m okay though! Don’t take it away! I’m strong enough to handle the pain on my own.” His lips squeezed together in pout, brows furrowing together in a look of forced confidence. 

A breath you didn’t even know you’d been holding escaped with an exasperated sigh. Since when had your brother gotten so grown up? You could still remember the days he wanted you to shoulder every scrape and bruise he’d gotten with the use of your devil fruit. It almost felt you feeling melancholy to see him no longer rely on you so much. 

You brought your fingers in front of hisforead, giving him a strong flick before offering the small figure a hand up. He clutched the space below his bangs with a face you could only describe as the cutest puppy dog eyes in the world. His small hand brought it’s way into yours, thin fingers wrapping around your own. The weather was nice, and the sun offered soft comfort to your skin as you walked to town with your sibling in tow. 

The walk to town wasn’t horrendously long, but living on the outskirts still proved to be a bit of a hassle on the days you worried about running late. The fact that you two had a roof over your head was more than enough though. You both had managed to make the derelict lodging a place you could call home. From the rotting floorboards to the remnants of once painted walls, all were now filled with precious memories of the time the two of you had spent there.

“Think we’ll see any cool pirates?” You gaze shifted to Garrin whose lips were pulled upwards in mischief. Without missing a beat; you planted a swift knock to the head to the silly boy who was still foolishly daydreaming about pirates. 

“Pirates are greedy and selfish. I don’t see why you keep idolizing them so much. They’re bad people.” 

You’d known this much from all the pirates you’ve had the displeasure of meeting while you worked for ol’ lady Hogshaw. She was kind enough to allow you to work at the tavern even allowing your brother to loiter around the premises while you worked. Hell, she’d even feed the two of you. While the tavern wasn’t always full of the kindest of customers, within a year your skin was thick enough to sass back even the rowdiest of pirates. If it wasn’t for her, you two would probably be nothing more than street rats, digging in dumpsters for your next meals. You’d felt truly indebted to her. While she tried to play the part of grumpy old lady, you could tell there was compassion in her heart.

**THWOMP.**

The hand you’d been holding slipped through your fingers; while Garrin proceeded to take a faceful of dirt. He’d always been rather clumsy, and while you’d mainly expected him to simply get back up after dusting himself, he stayed crouched on the ground, making no effort to stand. You could see the moisture forming in his eyes, fighting it back as much as was capable of. Eventually the dam gave way, and waterworks ensued. Large tears dropped from glossy eyes and it tugged on your heart in the worst of ways. 

“Hey hey hey. Calm down. Where does it hurt?” You lowered yourself down to his level, bringing your eyes to level with his. No sooner had you asked did you see the rather horrid gash in his leg, what looked to be the shattered remains of a beer bottle lodged in his knee. If you ever found out who was responsible, they’d have hell to pay. 

“I’m gonna pull the glass out real quick, okay? Then it’ll all be over before you know it.” He nodded through the glossy sheen of moisture cloaking his eyes and felt your instincts urging you to cradle him in your arms. He was still the cute baby brother you’d always known. You placed a reassuring hand to his head, stroking the soft halo of hair. With one swift motion you pulled the glass from his knee and no sooner had you slid your hand to his cheek with a reassuring smile. 

“Transfer.” Ever so slowly the gash on his knee began to dissipate and mend, meanwhile the sting of a wound began to fester on your own. It was times like these you found the sole use of a Devil Fruit meant to share and trade physical ailments of the body. You weren’t exactly the most cautious of kids. The fruit had looked good in the eyes of a ten year old, perhaps you should have blessed your lucky stars nothing poisonous had grown in the forest near your home. The look on your parent’s face when they’d learned you’d randomly eaten one; even now you couldn’t help but smile at the memory. 

“I’m sorry…” He heaved a few sniffs and hics between his words.  
“Does it hurt?” 

To say it didn’t hurt, would have been a lie, but was it something you could handle? Most definitely. 

You hummed shaking your head no with a soft smile that brought light into your eyes. 

“You already know how tough I am, don’t you?” You flexed what little excuse for a bicep you could muster. 

“Onee-chan is the toughest person I know. Even tougher than pirates.” You couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at that remark. 

Asides from a few regulars, the tavern was mostly empty when you got there. It tended to stay that way until the evening hit, that or right after a new ship hit the port. And there was your boss, whom you felt more like a grandma than anything. She was sitting in the stool of the bar, chatting with one of said regulars when her eyes caught yours. She spared no second in getting you started on your first job of the day. 

“Dishes in the back. Make sure you scrub them well. There’s a ton of meat in the back when you’re done with that. I don’t care what or how you make it, just make sure you get it cooked. We’ll have a large crowd tonight.” 

You’d only made it a few steps before her voice rang out again. 

“What happened to your leg?” She eyed your injured knee suspiciously. Her face seemed to radiate the feeling of _‘You better not let it affect your work’_ and what you were sure was a hint of concern. 

“I’ll bandage it up real quick before I get started but otherwise just a minor scratch.” 

A single nod was offered in reply. 

With that you made your way into the back of the tavern. It was a decently sized kitchen which sometimes felt far too large for just yourself. Dishes were piled miles high in the sink and you wondered if Hogshaw had simply enjoyed watching you suffer. You heaved a sigh, heading to a first aid cabinet, making quick work of a spare cloth and bandaging your aching knee with ease. You quickly tied your hair up into a ponytail h/c locks bouncing behind you with each movement. All that was left was to make sure the tavern's apron was tied snugly around your waist, and you were off to work for what would likely be a very busy evening. Garrin hung around a bit in the kitchen watching you work, before he excused himself to likely try and talk with some of the customers about their journeys. 

\--------------------

Sweat formed on your brow, and you wiped it with the back of your hand. While she had said they were expecting a large crowd, you questioned whether it was less of a crowd, and more of a mob with the amount of food she’d had set aside to be cooked. It was surely enough to feed hundreds of people. Far more than what her measly tavern could even seat. Alas, you knew better than to question her. As you stepped into the front of the tavern, through the dusty tavern windows you could make out the redness of the sky, ebbing it’s gradual way to dusk. 

[Battle Scar]

Your eyes made quick work of the tavern, trying to spot that familiar mop of head eating a snack or listening to the faraway tales from the men of the sea. You could feel the uncertainty grow in your gut when you failed to spot him. 

“Gran- I mean...Ma'am. Do you know where Garrin is?” She raised an eyebrow, pondering the question. 

“Haven’t seen ‘im in a few hours.” 

The uneasiness of your visage seemed to tell her more than enough. She huffed with a shake of her head. 

“You got an hour.” 

You were rushing out of the tavern as soon as the words had left her lips. 

“Thank you gr- Ma’am!” 

While your brother was one to venture off on his own from time to time, he was never one to leave the tavern for much more than an hour, especially without coming to bug you before he left. You’d been so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle you hadn’t even realized how quickly the time had begun to slip by you. It’d be dark within the hour, which would only make it harder to find him with little more than moonlight and lamp posts to guide your way. 

“Garrin!” You could feel the sinking of your chest, when you failed to see his face, or hear a reply back to the shout. Part of you had simply expected to come from around a corner, with that goofy smile plastered all over his face. Yet as much as you’d wished that’d be the case, seconds ticked into minutes, and it felt like you’d searched the entire town. Garrin was still nowhere to be seen. 

You bit at your bottom lip. He hadn’t gone back home had he? There was no way he would have gone without telling you, right? Your feet dragged closer to the edge of town. Soon the sky would be painted with the inky black colors of the night. So… where was he? The pit in your stomach only grew heavier. Perhaps it would be better to head home just to check; perhaps he got to distracted by something to-- 

A sharp grasp on your wrist pulling interrupted your thoughts as you were dragged into the shade of a darkened alley. Before so much as a peep could escape your lips, a hand had forcibly pressed itself against your lips with such pressure you were sure your jaw would shatter. You squirmed under the strangers grasp, trying to twist your limbs out of his grip but it proved futile against their strength. 

“I’d suggest ya come along quietly if ya wanna see that brother of yours again.” A chill ran down your spine. Your nose wrinkled in disgust as his putrid breathe made its way into your nostrils. It hadn't taken more than one quick glance upwards to know this man was a pirate. The mention of your brother was all that was needed for you to ease on your attempt at fighting back. If looks could kill... you were sure he'd be keeling over right now. 

"That's right. If you stop fighting I'll even take ya to him." As much as you wanted to see this man beaten to a bloodied pulp, Garrin was your biggest priority. The sudden absence of your brother made sense now, and you vowed if he’d been harmed in any way, you’d hurt this man so bad he’d never walk again. At the moment though, all you could do was obey him. It took considerable effort to ease the panic and tension from your muscles, but eventually you went slack against the man. He took this as his queue as he started to shove you along in front of him, grip never once budging from your wrist or mouth. 

The only cohesive thought running through your mind was _Garrin better be safe._

In time you could pinpoint where they'd planned on taking you. The ocean grew louder in your ears, the sounds of waves hitting the coast and ships creaking in the currents. You could only conjure guesses as to which ship would be theirs. 

It wasn’t long until you were shoved towards a medium sized ship, but the state of it left you breathless. The mast was splintered and charred. What wasn’t burnt of the main sails were now simply strips in the breeze. Holes and wounds in the wood littered the ship to a point you’d almost felt pity for the object. Had they gotten into a fight with the navy? You churned your neck in an attempt to look back to get another look at the man; but a sharp shove forward thwarted your curiosity. Well, you'd likely find out soon enough. You were pushed onto the ship, guided towards the front before being tossed harshly to the ground as soon the door to the captain's quarters was opened. 

"Onee-chan!" Your eyes instantly shot towards the figure huddled in the corner. Another man sat on a chair, eyeing you like you were a piece of meat. You ignored the captors for the moment, rushing towards that oh-so-familiar figure. 

"Garrin!!" Relief washed over you in waves as you pushed yourself towards him, cradling him in your arms. 

"Thank God you're okay…" You planted kisses on his head, blinking back the wetness forming over your vision. You relished in the fact he was safe; but the comfort didn't last for long. Yanked up by your ponytail you let out a hiss at the sudden rough treatment. 

"Really touching family reunion here, but there's a job for you to do." You attempted to kick the man behind you, muttering every curse under the sun, as if the words could somehow wound him.

"I would be careful about resisting." The man sitting in the chair spoke up, voice low and laced with malice. He stood up, bringing large and vulgar hands towards Garrin, before wrapping thick fingers around his cheeks like snakes and pulling the young boy up.

They spared no moment in showing how serious they were.  
_The sharp blade of a sword was pressed against the delicate flesh of his neck.  
_

You felt the strength leave your body. Your legs gave way beneath you and the pirate holding you up by your hair released you, leaving you falling to the floor. You couldn't fight two men at once. Even one was a gamble. 

"W...What do you want?" You tried your best to remain calm, fight the urges to lash out, anything that could end up costing Garrin his life. 

They both gave a sickening grin that seemed to radiate with all that was evil in the world. 

"We owe someone a little payback… and that devil fruit of yours is perfect for the job." 

They'd been planning this since you helped your brother this morning?

It felt like your body was laden with lead. Your devil fruit was perfect for it…? They seemed to pick up on your puzzled look. A sword was drawn, and pressed into the flesh of your neck.

"That's the Trade-Trade fruit isn't it? You can switch the injuries you have with another." You nodded as steadily and meticulously as possible, as to avoid pressing the blade further into your neck. You tried to swallow the lump that was building up in your throat and the blade pricked at your skin. 

That was of course the original ability the fruit had given you, but you'd had it for so long you'd found the way to take an injury into yourself, without sending anything back. How was your power going to help them though? 

"You're going to take this dagger, and put it in your chest, then you're going to switch your injury with the man we're after. You live, your brother lives, and our target dies." 

The plan was insane! They… wanted you to basically attempt killing yourself and then manage to trade the wounds with someone in that state?

"There's no way I can do that!" You screamed out in defiance before you could think about the consequences. The man holding a blade to the young blonde narrowed his eyes.

"What a shame." In one deft motion he slid the blade across your brother's throat, a shrill cry left his lips before he tumbled backward into the wall clutching at neck with strained sobs. 

Your instant reaction was to get up and rush over to him, but the blade at your neck was pressed more harshly to your throat preventing any movement or slip of your tongue. You could feel the warmth trail from the point of the blade down your collarbone. 

"The next one will kill the brat on the spot." 

You wanted nothing more than to rush over to your sibling, hold him right then and there, tell him it was all going to be fine. Big sister would protect him. 

_But you couldn’t._ ...and that thought tore you apart more than anything. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Your target was a man named whitebeard. A massive man with a large white mustache. According to the pirates, he was probably going to be docking on the island tonight. Your hand trembled as you held the dagger close to your chest. Every time you closed your eyes you could see their vile smiles, rotting teeth and venomous eyes. You weren’t sure where the pirate number who’d originally captured you was, but you were told they’d be keeping a close eye on you. Were you to try anything funny, a flare would be lit and your brother would be lost. Your fingers gripped the hilt with enough strength, had it not been steel it might have crumbled away in your grasp. 

Deep in the distance you could make out voices, ever so slowly creeping closer towards you, growing in volume and clarity. Clammy fingers barely kept the blade steady, as you pressed the edge of the blade against your chest. You could barely think amidst the terror that ran rampant in your mind. There was no guarantee you’d succeed. Had you wished to abandon your brother-- living would have been a simple choice. But he was the only family you had left, and a life without him would have been no different than being dead. 

The voices grew close enough you could start making out words-- different people amongst what had once been a cluster of sound. You dared not peek your head around the corner; you’d already been warned they were a careful bunch. A simple slip up could mean dying in vain. You’d have no opportunity to see the man you were supposed to kill until it was too late. 

You readied the blade taking in a deep breath.Your lungs to ached under the pressure of the air. All you had to do was calm your nerves. You would kill this Whitebeard no matter the cost. If it meant Garrin would live; you’d do anything. You could hear their footsteps clearly now.

It was now or never.

Your eyes squeezed together tightly; with a fluid motion you pressed the blade with as much force as you could muster into your chest. 

It took all you had to avoid falling on the spot, tears formed at your eyes and you felt the breath sucked from your lungs. Your body trembled, it hurt so much the pain seared into every waking thought process you could muster. 

_It hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt. It hurt so bad._

Yet, your feet still managed to move. Sluggishly, you drug your feet across the dirt, pushing yourself out of the dark into the light of the street. One arm clutched at your chest, while one sway limply at your side. You could feel the heat escaping your body as puddles of crimson pooled below you with each passing step. Your vision was going hazy, nausea burning in your throat. Dim e/c eyes searched for the one with the white beard, and instantly you knew why they said you wouldn’t miss him. He was a giant among men. 

Your timing couldn’t have been better. At the pace you were going you’d cross paths perfectly. 

You could feel the gazes that began to settle on you one by one. A female hobbling into the road with a dagger in her chest probably wasn’t the most expected of sights. 

Just… a few more feet and you’d be in distance to the man. From what peripheral you had; you could see a few of the group come to a halt; some panicked voices you couldn’t quite understand through the pounding of blood in your ears. You couldn’t even look up at the figure whose shadow soon blocked the light of the lamps. All you could think about was just one touch. Just touch him once and everything would be okay again. His hand went towards you, giving you just the opportunity you needed. As soon as his skin touched yours you spoke with the last of the strength within you. 

“Trade.”

Then everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone ended up enjoying this let me know. It's my first time sharing my writing publicly. ; w ; I definitely appreciate tips, especially when it comes to being more descriptive of things since I feel my ability to produce strong imagery is still lacking.


	2. Loss & Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very intense chapter, there is a lot of grief, and descriptions of death, so just forwarning you. 
> 
> I would definitely suggest trying some of the music tracks left in [ ] I've supplied for some of the more... heartwrenching parts of this story.

When you first began to regain consciousness, all you could make out was the sound of voices in the distance. Despite trying to focus more clearly, and will your body awake; your mind felt muddy, and you couldn’t muster your eyes open, soon falling back into the darkness. 

The second time you began gaining consciousness you found it much easier to rouse tired limbs awake. Your body felt strange, foreign. Finally fluttering your long lashes open you could make out the world around you. You’d been stripped to your tank top, with wires attached at your collarbones and arms that trailed to a strange machine next to you. Your head pounded as you tried to understand what was going on. Piece by piece the picture became whole. 

[Unan and the Stone Storage Room]

“Garrin!” Your voice broke, feeling raw and unused to speaking. You ripped at the cords attached to your body, your body moving like a terrified animal. Panic flowed through your system like a drug.

“Woah woah woah! Calm down!” 

Large hands gripped at your shoulders, forcing you to lie back down in what you could assume to be none other than a hospital bed. 

Your body shook under the strain of trying to push past their hold. 

“Hey hey just calm down.” A man with a light brown pompadour kept you pinned down. A stitched scar lined the outside of his left eye; and the warmth within was almost reassuring. But you had to get to your brother. The fact that you were alive was proof you'd succeeded. You just had to find those pirates again and tell them; if they hadn't seen already. 

"I have to go… My brother…!" The desperation in your voice seemed to cause the man's grip to falter; giving you all the chance you needed to dart past him. 

The sudden movement was not one that came easily, and your legs teetered underneath you, threatening to send your face hurtling into the floor. It was if you were a newborn fawn trying to stand on her own for the first time. Yet you prevailed against your body’s unwillingness to cooperate, and managed to swing that first door open to freedom. 

At first all you could see was white. The heat of the sun came down from above, planting warm kisses over your exposed shoulders. The noise of waves crashed against your ears, as well as the murmur of jovial conversation that all but came to a halt with the slam of the door opening. 

The more your eyes adjusted to the light, the more your heart sank. While you might have been in a doctors room, you were nowhere near a hospital. You knew far too well what a ship looked like, and this was no doubt one. Unfamiliar faces met your gaze, full of what you could only describe as displeasure and suspicion. These were likely the pirates associated with that captain you’d just killed, but the merriment in their voices only moments prior seemed to send anxiety prickling up your spine. 

“Thatch, what happened to keeping an eye on her?” A man with messy black hair was the first to speak up. He tipped up a bright orange hat rimmed with red beads, two blue faces adorning the front. Below the hat were dark brown eyes framed by thick eyebrows and freckle dotted cheeks. 

“Well, it's not like she would have been able to get very far.” The man with the pompadour heaved a sigh, and you flinched at the touch of his hand over your shoulder. 

The man with the orange hat eyed you with such scrutiny you felt as if you were shrinking under his gaze. Most of the other men followed suit. You weren’t welcome here. 

“Pops.” A man with blonde hair and an open purple shirt stood up, eyes attentive to something behind you. He adorned a blue tattoo which you could only aptly describe as a mixture of a cross with a banana. Perhaps that had something to do with how he strangely reminded you of a fruit? You followed the trail of his eyes, to glance at what it seemed like everyone was now focused on. 

_And boy had you wished you hadn’t._

Your heart had sunk so low you were sure your body would follow with it into the abyss of the sea. That same hulking man, at least four times your height was living, breathing, _and looking at you._ The sheer amount of intimidation you felt from this man was enough to send shockwaves down your spine, and part of you was thankful you now had that stranger to help keep you steady. 

There was a bandage on his chest, which was more than enough to tell you the switch had worked, _but the wound hadn’t been lethal._

Thoughts shot through your mind like bullets. You were running through every possible way to escape, every way in which you could somehow still save your brother. The taste of iron pooled in your mouth as your teeth clenched against the bottom of your cheek. There was no escape; especially against a man of this size. 

“What were you trying to accomplish, _brat?_

He spoke with such command the will to fight against him began to slip through your fingertips like sand. 

You remained petrified under his gaze for what felt like hours. You wished desperately for your feet to listen to you, but they only shook under the pressure and you were certain they’d soon give way beneath you. Your eyes squeezed shut, as if it were all a nightmare, and when you’d open them, you’d be at your house, with a little brother who mischievously had snuck into your bed again beside you. His face was all you needed to regain the deep ingrained need to escape and save him. 

Your feet had bolted in the opposite direction of the man, through the only free path away from people you could see. From the side of the ship you could see the island, and to your relief they hadn’t left port with you as a captive. You just had to get off the boat, and you’d find him. That thousand-watt smile that keeps even the darkest storms at bay. 

It’d been futile.

You were outnumbered and outpowered. A force came from behind you, knocking what little air your lungs still had out from within them. A hand slammed forcibly into the back of your head, while the weight of someone’s knee bore itself into your back. 

Your hope turned into desperation and you relentlessly attempted to squirm your way out, shrieks of curses flowing from your tongue and filling the air with venom. Eventually, your fight slipped away; your body shuddering while the sobs you’d worked so hard to keep back erupted from deep within your throat. 

“Let me go!” You hadn’t even been aware your voice was capable of the shrill pitch it was reaching. 

“Let me go, you bastards! My brother needs me!” The raw sobs escaping left your whole body convulsing. You choked on the gags that escaped in between your sobs and you clawed desperately at the wooden floorboards beneath you. Your face contorted, eyes squeezing as you gritted your teeth together through an open mouth. 

“What kind of big sister would I be if I can’t even save my little brother!” Your voice strained with the raw volume and emotion behind your words leaving your throat feeling it’d been made sandpaper. 

I'll take whatever punishment you wish.... but please... just let me save him first." 

The pressure that had been forcing you down lifted, but you couldn’t find the strength to move. You couldn't even form words, left in a heaving pile of shudders and sobs. 

For a while your own voice was all you could hear, even the crashing of the waves felt distant. Everything had felt so distant and numb you wondered if you were even alive in the first place. 

“Pops.” Something about the way they spoke felt comforting. Just a single word was laced with so many different emotions, and they hung in the air far after he’d spoken. If only you’d had the strength or courage to raise your head and discover the source. 

The sound of shuffling followed right before you felt tender hands grasp you by the shoulders, pulling you upwards. You lowered your head attempting to hide the snot trailing down your nose and the tears that fell helplessly down your cheeks. 

It was the man with the pompadour again. 

“Just… try and slow down and explain. Some… of us figured there was more to the story… so just slow down and explain why you attempted what you did.” 

You focused solely on the warmth emanating from his eyes. They were the color of dried soil right before the rain, the sunlight danced across them, making it seem as if they were alive. It was the kindness planted within them that allowed you to disregard the wary looks burning on your back. 

So you steeled yourself and began your story of what had happened the night before. You failed to notice the unease when you had begun with ‘yesterday’. 

\-------------------------------------------

After you finished explaining, putting as many possible details into the story as you could remember, you finally raised your head. You used the back of your arm to wipe up the dried remains of your sorrow, hoping you could find the willpower to keep your cheeks dry. Most of the crew bore agitated faces, while a scarce few looked to you in pity. Part of you wanted that pity for once, perhaps it meant they’d help you in your plight. 

When your gaze landed on the man with the bright orange hat; it lingered there for a few seconds. He looked tense, and you could feel your own muscles going taut in return. He tipped his hat down, the brim of his hat covering his dark eyes. You could have sworn you saw flames dancing within them. 

“Pops.” You now recognized his voice, the one who’d previously addressed their ‘father’ in that indiscernible tone. His voice was lower now, all you could hear was the mixture of emotions, too indistinct to identify a single one. 

“You’d go no matter what I say. So be it.” You could feel the vibrations of the voice, resounding in your core. The booming voice of a giant man you’d only just tried to kill. 

Somewhere along the lines, you’d forgotten he was there. 

“I’ll go with him.” The tattooed blonde spoke next and you could only watch in stupor as you saw what could only be the power of a devil fruit outside your own for the very first time. It was surreal the way his arms shifted into what looked like wings made of blue and golden fire that carried him off into the air. Your gaze couldn’t help but trail after the figure as he left along with the freckled man. 

You needed to be leaving too. Your fingers clutched helplessly as the hem of your tank top, the black fabric contorting around your fingers. 

“Please let me go. I’ll do whatever you want afterwards...but I can’t leave him alone.” You dared not raise your eyes from the shield of your hair. 

The air grew stagnant in the silence. It felt like hours before the large pirate replied. 

“What do you think you’d accomplish on your own, brat?” 

Your e/c fluttered to the side, and you clenched the inside of your lip dangerously hard. You couldn’t stop the trembling of your hands as you spoke. A mixture of fear and frustration blended into one mass of emotion. 

“I… I’ll figure it out. So please.” You finally turned to face Whitebeard, and you could feel those golden eyes, the same as the treasures pirates were known to hoard, looking right into your soul. You fought back every urge to break your eyes away from him, in an attempt to stand your ground. 

“Baseless courage will not win your battles for you. You’ll die like a dog.” 

“Even so! It’s better than not trying at all!” Your brows furrowed, lips going taut. No matter what, you were going to hold your ground. You had to, for Garrin’s sake. 

**“A brat like you knows nothing!”**

The sheer intensity of his voice caused your body to jump involuntarily. 

“Then... what am I supposed to do?” 

Whitebeard offered no reply, but you could see it in his eyes. It wasn’t an answer for him to give you. It was something you would have to find on your own. 

“Just let Ace and Marco handle it. I’m sure they’ll find your brother for you. They’re some of the strongest people in our crew.” Another genuine smile, the likes of which you never thought a pirate capable of giving. 

“The orange hat and the...flame man?” You struggled for a moment, trying to pinpoint how to describe the one who’d previously broken out into those teal and yellow flames. 

The pompadour man’s eyes widened slightly, before you heard a chuckle escaping from his lips. You weren’t entirely sure what the man found so funny, but you could hear a few suppressed chuckles from some of the others as well. What was so funny? How could they be laughing in a situation like this? You’d tried to kill their captain, and now they were trying to help you? 

You weren’t sure how to process the facts. There was no doubt these men were pirates, and pirates never did something for free. 

Your heart ached to think of leaving your brother in the hands of pirates you didn’t even know. But at the moment their word was all you’d had. 

“Why would you help me if I tried to kill your captain?” 

“Gurararara. A snot-nosed brat like you is still a hundred years too early to be able to kill me" His thunderous voice was that of stormy waves, unfettered and tumultuous. 

There was a pause before he spoke again. 

"I would suggest you switch things back. Your body won't hold up more than a month." He reached for a large gourd, with what you could only figure to be some type of liquor, downing the liquid with large gulps.

You weren't entirely sure what he'd meant, and you decided to press your luck. 

"And if I don't?" 

"Then you can waste your life." 

The trepidation was enough to bring about your compliance. 

\-------------------------------------------

Ace gripped the brim of his hat, eyes inspecting every nook and cranny of the crumbling ship. 

"This was the ship from a couple of days ago." His brows furrowed; restlessness eating away at his nerves. 

"It is. It's surprising they made it to shore in this state yoi." Marcos' face remained unchanging, his eyes following the path of Ace's.

Splintered wood cried out against the pressure of a figure leaping onto its surface. The unsteady boat rocking with the force. Cloudy eyes remained vigilant while his ears strained for any sort of sound; the sound of life. Part of him couldn't help but feel it might have been his fault. If he'd made sure to have taken them all out-- made sure they'd never try anything again--

"Ace." The grim tone of the voice was more than enough to convince him that the worst and most likely scenario had taken place. 

His feet dragged him forward hesitantly towards the spot where Marco stood, looking into the captain's quarters. Light filtered in through a shattered window on the side, the rays of sun reflected off the shattered glass like diamonds in the sky. The floor had stained red, reaching its way out to the center of the room from the corner. The furthest areas of it’s reach had lost their crimson hue, brown and dry against the mahogany floors. 

Blonde hair lay still against the floor, strands encrusted a muddy red where the side of his face lay against the life force that had all but escaped his body. His eyes were glazed over; fear still trapped within them. Tear lines all too visible, paths of cleaner skin against the dirt that was collected on his cheeks. The crimson grin across his neck; against the backdrop of the ashen skin a juxtaposition that Ace was sure would haunt him for years to come. There had been no warmth in this body for a while now, he’d been dead long before they found him. A lump formed in his throat, and try as he might, the pirate could not force it down. Memories of his youth flashed in his mind, a blonde who was not much younger than the one dead before him smiling happily to the sea. 

His fingers clenched, flames lapping up at his knuckles. Whatever pirates were capable of such depraved acts should not have been allowed to go scot-free. 

Marco remained silent. While he’d already known this was the outcome, it made it no easier to see. He spared a glance towards the ravenette, and it was too apparent what Ace had been thinking. 

“Ace, we should go report to pops.” 

“I’ll meet you there. I’ve got some business to take care of.” He spared one glance at Marco, before concealing his gaze with the brim of his hat. Marco could only sigh as he turned his sight back to the boy. The thought of having to break this kind of news to someone didn’t sit well in his stomach. Despite the unease, he did his best to clean up what he could of the boy, before making his way back with the lifeless husk in tow. 

\----------------------------------------------

Your face contorted under the pressure of the bandage being wrapped around your chest. You gritted your teeth, avoiding eye contact with the nurse dressing the wound. 

“You really are lucky you know. It’s almost miraculous you managed to plunge the knife in and miss everything vital.” 

You could understand them trying to lighten up the mood, but nothing would ease your tension until you saw your brother back safe and sound. Your fingers tirelessly gripped at the fabric of your skirt, balling it up between your closed fists. You avoided making eye contact with the female, or even saying a word. You weren’t even a pirate, let alone a member of their crew. It irked you with the way some of them acted so kind towards you. 

“That should do it. Just be careful not to jostle your shoulders around too much, or do anything strenuous.” 

You replied with a limp nod of your head. 

“Here, be careful with putting it back on.” The tank top you’d been wearing was pressed gently towards your hands. It was a bit awkward trying to slide the fabric over your head with the addition of constricting bandages over your chest and shoulder. The brunette offered to help, but you shot down any assistance she’d tried to offer. You’d need to be able to dress yourself without the help of anyone regardless, and it was better to learn now versus later. 

“Ah wai-” As soon as the fabric of your shit was snugly over you, you’d stood up, hands gripping the silver handle of the door. 

“Which way to the deck?” 

She looked towards you, as if deciding whether she should answer the question or not. 

“It’s the second door on the right, and then straight out the hallway with the window.” 

You muttered a thanks under your breath, surprised they actually let you roam free without supervision. Then again…it seemed like everyone here was far stronger than you could ever hope to be. An ant surrounded by lions. 

The briny air invaded your lungs with the pleasant feeling of home. It helped in easing up the vast amounts of turmoil that brewed in your gut. With a calmer state of mind, you could now survey the ship. It was behemoth compared to the dingy ships that normally stopped in from the sea. It was almost a surprise the port was deep enough for them to anchor at the island. Rows of furled sails went up so high you were sure they could touch the clouds. You couldn’t help the rise of one your lips at the thought of your brother seeing the ship. 

They’d find him, bring him back here, and he’d probably never shut up about the ship for days on end. You could see him running around the deck, hair sparkling in the sun, while his smile rivaled the warmth of it. The better question would be would he even _get off_ the ship. Nothing short of dragging him by the collar would probably work. You relished in vibrant imagery your mind could conjure. 

[Ocean of Memories] 

“Marco!” Murmurs and chatter filled the air from the side of the ship. 

Your heart pumped faster, electricity beginning to flow in your veins at the name. Trepidation lapped at your mind, and your fingers felt numb against the fear of truth. You shifted the weight of your feet turning your body towards the source of the commotion. A tuft of bright yellow hair swayed in the breeze, lavender shirt hung open over a toned body. A figure was held close to his chest, and you could only take a few moments to stare in disbelief. 

“Garrin!” Your voice cried out in joy at the sight of your sibling, feet urging you towards the pirate who’d held him close to his chest. It was almost too good to be true, they’d found him. They found him! He was-

 _He wasn’t okay._

Sweat formed on your now pallid skin. Your lungs strained for air, but it was if you were submerged underwater. Pressure filled your chest, and heat drained out from your fingertips. Guilt was carved into Marco’s eyes as clearly as the tattoo on his chest. The boy who only a day before had been so full of life, was now nothing more than a lifeless doll. 

Your muscles tensed as if you’d been struck like lightning, jaw quivering as you clenched it. 

You took a step forward. 

_  
“Just you watch! I’m gonna sail all across the grand line. I’ll be the strongest pirate to ever have existed!”_

_His lips tugged upward full of mirth. It was if the sun itself had found a home in his smile._

_“And then I’ll come back here and give you the coolest treasure in the world!”_

_Your eyebrows raised in amusement._

_“And just what might that be?”_

_His vision trailed upwards as his tongue lifted to the top of his lips, a small hand cradling his chin._

_“It’s a secret!” A wide grin revealed his teeth as bubbles of laughter erupted from within._

_Your own lips tugged upwards with a devilish enthusiasm. You stretched your hands out, fingertips spreading apart. By the time he’d realized his impending doom it was already too late, as you fingers plunged into his sides giving tickling him with an unfettered ferocity._

_“I think that means you don’t actually know what the greatest treasure is!”_

Two more steps forward.  
__

_“Hey sis…” He tugged on your sleeve, as you both gazed out at the sky. The moon hung full and hazy amidst an eclipse of blazing stars. You broke your gaze from the velvet night, eyes focusing on the small figure huddled up beside you._

_It was as if the stars had found themselves weaved into pure locks of light. A golden halo of starlit strands resting atop his head, that in the breeze were reminiscent of shooting stars. The gentle glow of moonlight brought the starlit youth home. Under the gentle glow of the moonlight, he shined. He belonged there, bathed in the serenity of it all. Nothing could compare to the warmth and innocence that blossomed from his young and tender heart._

_You offered a hum, as you gazed at the light that filled his eyes, shining even brighter than the stars. It carried the warmth of the sun, and you could feel the warmth of it reaching the deepest depths of your heart._

_“Do you ever miss Mom and Dad?” Your lips hung agape for a few moments, before you settled your attention back to the milky glow of the sky._

_“I do sometimes...Are you sad they’re not here?”_

_“Mmmm” He shook his head no, tiny fingers found their way towards yours, as he wrapped them around two of your digits. It carried the same tenderness as a newborn grabbing its mother. Never once did he look away from the blazing sea of stars above him._

_“I have big sister, so I never feel sad….and just like you said, they’re up there watching me, right? One of those stars is Mom… and another is Dad.”_

_You wrapped your arms around him, and in that moment you felt the world go still. Your breathing slowed, while your eyes stayed closed. All you could focus on was the soft and tender warmth of your brother. The truth was you too, could not be sad, when you still see your parents in that ever youthful smile of his. If only they could be around to see him blossom into the amazing person you knew he would be._

Your legs could no longer trudge forward, and they gave out below you like small trees in a hurricane. Everything felt distant, the pounding of waves against the hull were now but a hazy memory. Tears cascaded down your eyes like waterfalls, but you couldn’t even feel them trailing down your face. 

Your one ray of sunshine in the world had been robbed from the sky draining the world of all its colors. Your lips spread agape, but your words were even lighter than the breeze, swept away in the ocean wind. 

The emptiness in your chest spread over your body in waves. Soon you felt so hollow not a single thought remained. 

The whitebeard pirates watched in silence, some hung their heads low in condolence. Everyone knew the grief of losing a loved one, even more so, those who lived their lives as pirates. Yet no matter how many times one experienced loss, while it may have gotten easier, the pain never went away. 

Marco walked with featherlight steps, before kneeling in front of you. 

“Don’t blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done.” His words halted, and he wondered if he should even finish what he was saying at all. 

“They had no reason to keep their end of the bargain, regardless of what you did.” 

He lay your brother gently beside you.

Your hands spread out against the wood like pale starfish. You crawled towards your brother like a lost puppy seeking it's mother. With your knees at the edge of his body you scooped him up into your arms. His body had gone rigid, his skin covered in death's cold embrace. 

[Mother Sea]

He was gone. 

You pressed your cheek against his. Even being stabbed tens of times would not compare to the burning ache you felt in your chest. 

Your fingers ran through his hair, but you could no longer see the sun playfully hiding in the silken strands. His beautiful big eyes, harboring the depth and brightness of the sea, would no longer look to you again. 

You sat deathly still, cradling him in your arms for ages. The passing of time was only evident by the sky. Soon the endless blue above you had been burned with fire, as the sun said its farewell. The water burned with the same fiery light; changing it into a sea of liquid fire. The sky burnt so hot only to die out to the blackness of the cold night. In your arms was the night sky covered by clouds. Cold, and lonely.

"I shouldn't be alive." You hadn't even noticed the words that came from your lips. You didn't even realize you had the strength to speak. 

"What would death accomplish?" His words felt oddly soft, like a parent speaking to a child. You followed his gaze to the sun as it made its way below the horizon. The flames of the water growing into embers in the ebbing light. 

You cradled the boy tighter to your chest. You no longer had tears to cry, and your eyes stung in the briny air. 

"Living without him would be the same as being dead." Your eyes squeezed shut and your arms held him to you like your life depended on it. 

You could feel the sobs bubbling up, breaking free from your raw throat, air in place of where your tears should have been forming. 

"He was the only family I had left... I don't want to be alone!" Your body shuddered and convulsed. The thought of living on without him was just too much to bear. 

"We are all children of the sea. Family isn't made solely by blood!" His voice was thunderous, and it struck like lightning through your core. 

"Your brother is not gone so long as you keep his memory alive. Ending your life would be the same as killing him twice." You could only stare as his eyes reflected wisdom far beyond your years. 

"If you wish for family, then be my daughter." 

It was so kind it hurt. This man you’d tried to kill, now asking for you to be his family. You sputtered out a weak laugh, feeling the weight of grief ease up, if only little. 

“You must be crazy, old man.” 

You sat in silence, watching the sky grow dark, as stars began to dimly glow within it. Was Garrin up there watching you now? He probably would have nagged you to stop being sad ten times over by now from up there if he was. 

\---------------------------------------------

Needless to say, you'd accepted the offer. Part of you just couldn't imagine staying on the island, where the memories lie abundant. Despite the emptiness you felt, something told you staying with them might help fill it. You ascertained whether they would help you lay your brother to rest, as it wasn't something you could do alone. While you'd thought about whether he should be left on the island, ultimately you knew he'd feel happier at sea. The ocean and pirates were all he'd ever talked about after all. Perhaps this way you could help live out his dream for him. 

You were given a room, and while simple and small, felt homely. It was no bigger than a bathroom, but the small space suited you better. There wasn't much in it, asides from a normal-sized bed and a wooden desk and drawer. Deep grooves peppered the wood, nicks and scratches abundant on the oaken surfaces. There was more years of history etched into them than years you'd been alive. When you first found yourself alone in the room your fingers skimmed the walls, feeling every nook and cranny under the pads of your thumb. It felt almost surreal, the idea that you would make this your new home felt like just a dream. While part of you wished it was just a dream; you couldn't help the excitement that lurked deep inside your heart. This ship had seen a history, that much you were sure. At some point, you might get around to asking about it. 

Pompadour man, who you now knew as Thatch had stopped by that night to give you some food. You found solace in his kindness, the way he'd never once shown anything but that had warmed you to the core. The meal of a pirate had seemed dubious at first. Surely they didn't eat all that well, could pirates even cook? What Thatch had brought you though, was far more than you would have ever guessed. A red ceramic bowl, filled with a richly aromatic scent. The smell of a few familiar spices, mixed with ones you didn't even recognize wafted up from the steaming bowl. Pieces of cut vegetables and meat floated in the bowl, tantalizing your taste buds. You were glad to be behind closed doors when you ate it, a soup that tasted of home. It was so comforting and delicious you couldn't even help the moisture that gathered over your vision. 

Eventually you managed to get a semblance of sleep, surprisingly the bed was actually pretty comfortable. If only your dreams hadn't been wracked by nightmares. But they likely would for a long time to come. 

Portgas D. Ace returned to the ship much, much later that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was getting writer's block on writing some of this, so I actually ended up walking over to the beach. Once I could hear and see the waves the words flew out just like water. It was pretty incredible. 
> 
> Hopefully, I can start getting into the more fluffy moments now because man I do crave writing them ; w;


	3. The Whitebeard Pirates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we can move on from the angst! \\(ﾟ∀ﾟ)/

You let out a muffled groan, trailing both hands down your face in vexation. Just what on earth had you been thinking? The bedsheets crinkled beneath you as you pulled your knees towards your face resting your forehead against them. Light beamed in from the porthole and dust reflected off it like glitter in the harsh light. The boat occasionally let out a creak or a groan, but today bore a much more slothful sea. 

The first week had been horrendous. Your emotions had been volatile, and you bounced between despair and resentment just like the wind changed direction. There was no telling how quick it would happen, or how strong it would be and the only option was to simply sail with it. Coupled with the mal de mer you wouldn’t have been surprised if you’d lost a few pounds with the food that involuntarily left your system. 

You’d found your sea legs now which helped in contemplating your rash decisions endlessly. 

“I must be an idiot… or crazy…maybe both” You pushed another groan from your lips, hugging your knees even tighter. 

“That sounds like about half the crew. Means you’ll fit in just fine.” 

Thatch was leaned against the doorway, the corners of his eyes crinkled with an ever-relaxed smile tugging on his lips. 

You raised a weary brow, offering little more than a glance his way. 

“Haven’t you heard of knocking?” 

He returned the raised brow, before he brought a closed fist to his maw, eyes closing as a series of suppressed chuckles broke free. 

“Isn't it about time you stop moping around here? C’mon it’s high time you say hello to everyone.” 

“Isn’t about time yo- Oi-! Hey! What are you--” A retort you’d had at the ready was no more as Thatch forcibly dragged you from your bed with a hearty grip at the junction of your arm and shoulder. You were already being pulled from the doorway of your sweet home of solitude by the time you could find a way to argue against his audacity. 

“Wait- Thatch! I’m not ready.” He offered no respite to your plea. 

“You’re plenty ready. Stop being shy.” 

“I’m not being shy so please just let me g-” 

The doors were swung open and your eyes fluttered shut at the bombardment of bright light. The air was warm, but not sweltering. The perfect balance of heat left you wanting to sprawl out in the sun and unwind. Waves lapped at the hull in with a steady rhythm, a melody you never truly tired of hearing. Even against the backdrop of boisterous laughter, it felt serene. 

A vast infinity of vibrant blue stretched above you, tufts of white cotton drifting in the breeze. The pelagic smell of the silver-lined waters tickled your nostrils, and you could taste the seaweed on your tongue. Only the bright cerulean sky folded against the rumbling tides existed here; the closest land was miles below your feet. In the immenseness of it all, you couldn’t help but feel vulnerable and small. 

The deck rumbled below you as the familiar “Gurarara” of a man four times your size laughed. His excessively large back was towards you with medical equipment even bigger than you on both sides of him. They were filled with a clear liquid that sparkled in the light. Several nurses were attending to him, muttering a few bickers about his drinking. Their delicate pink uniforms fit snugly against their skin, revealing any curve their body had to offer. And… were those leopard stockings? You raised an eyebrow incredulously. You know what-- you didn’t even want to know. Men were already men, and these men were pirates. You could only hope you never got asked to be one; you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing an outfit that ridiculous. 

“Hey everyone, look who finally stepped out into the sunlight!”

Well, there went your plan of being inconspicuous. 

Just like that, all the eyes were on you. You cursed mentally, already planning how to repay Thatch the embarrassment. 

The first eyes you locked with was Whitebeard. 

“Uh...Hello... pops.” Heat dusted across your cheeks, the word was a lot more embarrassing to say out loud. 

“You’re looking a lot better, child.” His attention on you only furthered your embarrassment. 

“Mmm…” You nodded your head. Whitebeard had a way of taking the bark out of you. 

“Gurararara!” He brought a barrel to his lips, downing the contents in nearly one gulp. 

“You look like a fish out of water.” Thatch’s grip had released as a new voice spoke from behind you. 

“Everyone has been curious to meet you so come and eat with us yoi” Marco smiled, pressing his hand to the small of your back causing you to nearly stumble towards the crowd of people, or better put, pirates. 

Asides from Whitebeard, Marco, and Thatch you hadn’t really met much of anyone on the ship. You halted for a moment, taking in the sea of faces. Some had marred faces set upon jaws of steel. A few were more slender but carried an aura of intimidation just the same. Another even boasted a size almost as big as Whitebeard, to which you were completely baffled that two men of that size existed. But, despite the rugged features, you couldn’t help but see them as anything but friendly. Before you knew it, your feet were dragging you forward of their own volition.

“Looks like you got your sea legs already!” A man shouted holding up his brew, the amber liquid sloshing out from the side at the gesture. 

“Thankfully.” You forced a nervous smile still not quite sure how to handle yourself amongst them. 

“Just relax.” Marco headed out in front of you, motioning you to sit in an empty space beside where he took a seat. You obediently followed, doing your best to squeeze through the merry men sprawled out amongst their fare and their brew. 

“Welcome to the crew, y/n!” The voices rang out in a discordant blend of jubilant cheers. 

Your body stiffened for a few moments, mouth going agape, brows lifting as your pupils narrowed. Then without warning the emotions came forward, your mouth widening in an open grin, laughs shaking your body with vigor. That halted world where time had stopped began moving once again, as the colors of life shone with such vibrance it put the sun to shame. 

“Now what was that about not being ready?” Thatch leaned down beside you, giving a light shove with his elbow. In his hands was a medium plate with a variety of different colored dishes wafting with a tantalizing aroma that playfully tugged at your tastebuds as soon as the scent hit your nose. He offered it towards you, much to your delight. Another man shoved a mug your way and set your plate down in front of you to grab the wooden pint. The musty scent of the ale was not one you were unused to, but you never took much to drinking brews. You brought the mug hesitantly towards your lips, already tasting bitterness without so much as a sip. You closed your eyes, pressing the mug to your mouth, letting the malt fill your mouth and permeate your tastebuds with an unwelcome sharp and pungent jolt of flavor. You forced the liquid down your throat all the same, and they cheered as you managed to shove a few more gulps down before finally setting the half-drunk brew down with a thud. 

Your features scrunched, a deft hand grabbing at whatever food it could as you tried to alleviate the bitterness on your tongue. 

“Don’t like it?” You answered with a shake of your head. 

“Just not used to it, I never really drank much.” You swiveled your head to see who had taken up a seat beside you. 

You were greeted by a lopsided grin amidst a sea of freckles. The corners of his eyes were creased, and they resembled black pearls sparkling with mirth. Inky black hair flowed down to his nape and in the light of the sun reflected an almost indigo hue. His jawline was well-defined and sharp as if chiseled by a master craftsman. 

Heat began to burn at your cheeks as you inspected him further. Broad shoulders were hung below a sturdy neck that bore a string of red beads. His left arm was inked with a tattoo that read “Asce” with the S crossed out in a way that brought to question if somehow there’d been a mistake. He had no shirt, which left his toned torso to full view. It wasn’t exactly something you were used to seeing, especially not from so close. You were quick to turn away, as to avoid staring. (Even if part of you wanted to look just a little bit longer)

“I see.” You could hear the smile in his voice. 

From your peripheral you could make out him grabbing a rather large chunk of meat, and your eyes trailed along to the path of it, where he’d shoveled in down his throat with carnal hunger. It was… a bit frightening how fast this man was putting food down and you couldn’t help but watch transfixed at the sight. 

“The name’s Ace. Portgas D. Ace.” He spoke out between mouthfuls of food. _Did he have a bottomless stomach?_

“Uh… y/n. y/n … l/n” 

“ y/n huh? That’s a nice-” His words were cut off as his body went slack, neck bending forward as his raven hair hung over his lowered head obscuring part of his face from view. 

Eh? 

“H.. Hey!” Slender fingers gingerly gripped his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake.

There was no response. 

You jostled him more vigorously, but his body remained flaccid. 

“H...Hey!! Ace!” 

Immediately you turned towards the crowd, face twisted with fear. 

“Is there a doctor? Something’s wrong!!” 

There were a few incredulous looks, that gradually ebbed into fits of hysterical laughter. What was _wrong_ with pirates?

“You’re just gonna laugh? He might be dying if he’s not already dead!” Your fingernails dug into the flesh as your hold tightened on his shoulders. How could they just laugh like that?! 

Before any of them could manage a reply through their laughter induced asphyxiation; the muscles below your fingers twitched. 

“That’s a nice name.” 

He began re-stuffing his mouth with food, before halting to stare at the digits gripping his shoulders. 

“Hm? What’s up?” With a completely unperturbed manner, he poked at the arm that was outstretched towards him and you recoiled at the touch. The spots where your hand had dug mercilessly into him began fading from a ghostly white to an irritated red. 

Eh? 

You glanced towards the crew, then to Ace. Then to Marco, and back to Ace. The freckled man only looked at you in bemusement. 

What was going on?

Marco finally gave an answer to your flabbergasted reaction.

“Ace, you fell asleep and she thought you died yoi.” He could barely get the words out through his chuckling. 

Your vision darted straight back to Ace. 

“You…. fell asleep?” 

“Mmm. What are you so worked up about?” 

Heat began searing your cheeks, and for a moment it felt like your face was aflame. 

And then he had the gall to do it again. 

For some reason it irked you even more to see it the second time. 

“Don’t do that!” You raised your leg to shove at the man and much to your dismay, it’d have no effect. 

\----------------------------------------------  
“So, y/n… I heard you ate a Devil Fruit?” Haruta gave an inquisitive look towards you; passing another plate of food your way. At first, you mistook the Chesnut haired male for a child with his boyish looks, but with further discussion, you could tell he wasn't some teen. Although you were curious just what fountain of youth he'd drank from. 

“I mean… I guess. I ate the Trade-Trade fruit…” Your chin lifted, taking in the expansive blue above you. 

“I never used it, asides for my brother honestly. In a way, I feel no different from a normal person... except for the inability to swim. I must have eaten the most useless one out there” An airy laugh slipped from your lips at the joke.

“I was actually really surprised when I saw Marco’s arms turn into those flames, I’d never seen anyone with Devil Fruit powers outside my own.” Your fingers trailed to the collar of your shirt. 

“I wish I could have eaten one like Marcos, It’s incredible.” You tugged at the fabric, just enough to show the scar that now marred your skin. 

“My wound is already healed.” A couple of the men shifted awkwardly, a rouge staining their cheeks. You blinked, their bashfulness catching you off guard. 

“Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t even show half as much as those nurses!” In fact, you hadn’t even shown anything! 

“Don’t mind them, they’re idiots.” No matter how many times you heard Izo speak, your brain had trouble comprehending that he was indeed a, a he. Up until he’d spoken, you’d been thoroughly convinced it was just a very flat-chested female. He’d seemed somewhat appalled when you had to double-check he was a guy. At least he didn’t seem to hold it against you. 

"They're inexperienced newborns." Vista stroked his well-groomed mustache with a knowing smile. You most certainly didn't want to know just what it was he 'knew'. 

“Pops, Jozu, and Ace are also Devil Fruit users. I ate the Bird Bird Fruit: Model Phoenix.” As if to accentuate his point, light began to fester within his palms. A beautiful shade of cerulean speckled with shades of glimmering gold, if someone could hold a star in their hand, you were sure that this was what it’d look like. Your fingers trailed outwards, skimming along the lines of the flickering flames. It was not a fire that burned, but one that healed; something more incredible than you would have ever thought Devil Fruits could be. 

Your hands remained hovered in front of Marco’s when you spared a curious glance to Ace. He didn’t seem particularly invested in the conversation, but you were still curious. 

“What about you Ace? Is it the Sleep-Sleep fruit?” You jabbed at the who’d managed to fall asleep not twice, but thrice. You weren’t sure if you’d ever be able to forgive him for the embarrassment his narcolepsy had caused you. Something about the way the corner of his lip tugged upward in a lopsided smirk made you regret asking. 

“Are you curious?” Would you have asked him if you weren’t? And what was with that cocky grin? 

He easily jumped to his feet from how he’d been sitting, a feat you certainly didn’t have the finesse or strength to do. 

“Don’t burn anything down this time, you did enough damage when you joined!” Abounding snickers and sneers clogged the air after one of the pirates shouted the remark. Now you were _definitely_ curious. As he took a stance on the ledge of the boat, you couldn't but feel restless, being a Devil Fruit user; the idea of falling into the ocean was a terrifying one-- and he was just a shove away from doom. He glanced back once, before shoving his fist forward in a punching motion. 

“Hiken!” 

A blazing tornado of ghastly orange surged forward, unfettered flames hungrily clawing out to the world. The water below split at its center, desperate to flee the roaring inferno above as its embers danced unceremoniously in the air. The once still waters reflected the sky during sunset with unbridled ferocity. It was like a firework; the orange glows flickering out and fading as quick as they’d come. Even after the flames had dispersed the heat remained on your skin. 

You weren’t entirely sure what you were expecting, but it definitely hadn’t been that. It was at this moment you knew, this man was strong. While there was no doubt most of the people on the ship were at least twice as capable as you, he was a raging inferno, while you were no more than a fading matchstick. You didn’t even want to think about what it meant for how strong _Whitebeard_ was. 

“That’s our Fire Fist Ace for ya”

“No kidding”

He jumped down, pulling the hat up from its position on his back, dragging the brim to just above his eyes. 

“I ate the Flame-Flame fruit, I’m a man made of fire.” 

Words failed to form in your throat, speechless to the display. 

“I...see” You choked out the words attempting to get your bearings. 

These pirates were on a whole different level than the ones that typically voyaged to your island.

His expectant eyes kept on you, it was plainly painted across his face he’d wanted some sort of compliment that you weren’t going to give him. Instead, you changed the focus of the topic. 

“What other Devil Fruits are there?” You took pride in the way it baffled him. 

\------------------------------------------

The sky was losing its vibrant blue as the sun battled the moon for dominance of the canvas above. You were leaned up against the railing with one hand propping up your chin, hypnotized by the constant pulse of the sea. 

“So, what do you think?” You knew what Thatch was asking even without the context. 

“I always thought pirates were evil, and horrible people, I didn’t think a good one could exist.” You paused for a moment, knowing that wasn’t quite the words you were looking for. 

“Well, at least… that is to say, I don’t think the people here are evil. It was really like just a great big family. Whitebeard is a really great man, isn’t he?” 

You didn’t even have to turn towards him, to know the smile he was sporting. 

“The greatest I know.” 

Like that, you shared a few minutes of silence watching the sea, the way it danced and sang, and swayed to the wind as if it was alive. 

“Why don’t you come to the mesh hall? I’ll have dessert ready in a little bit.” He shot you a wink as he broke away from the railing. 

You beamed at him. 

How could you say no to that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of times I've googled random one piece stuff for this is well over the hundreds at this point, I swear. Also, it might be a week or so until I get the next chapter out, work week starts tomorrow OTL


	4. Your place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhhhhhh. This was a long chapter. I feel so drained after writing it. Most?? of it is proofread, but not all of it.

It was hard to believe it’d been almost a month. Your hands trailed the wet cloth along the surface of the floor meticulously. At one point it was probably a smooth, and pristine surface, but over the generations, it molded to the constant flow of life that walked atop it. As you’d explored the ship and interacted with the people who called it home, the more you felt yourself falling in love with it. 

Originally born from your stubbornness to receive any sort of kindness for free, you’d taken as many odd jobs as you could aboard the ship. You wanted to work for your share of board and food; anything to avoid being a freeloader. Through that, you’d met new crewmates, and even started making friends. In that time you tried to learn as much as you could. Pirates had been a topic you'd avoided like the plague, born through a resentment that likely still lingered in your heart. Just like the world was always changing, people did too. In time… your heart would probably be molded anew. Whether that change would be positive… was yet to be seen. 

A gentle smile snuck onto your face, eyes fluttering closed. Memories flooded your mind; they were still so vivid; as they were yesterday. 

_  
The remainder of dinner and soap permeated the air in a peculiar mix of smells that battered against your nostrils. It was not one you were unused to, but unpleasant just the same. Plates were lined up beside you and water pooled beneath them slowly draining from their side. Wrinkles and folds created valleys in your palms as they pruned in the water._

_It had been a long night of dishwashing; and if not for the occasional rustle of Thatch cleaning up behind you, the kitchen would have felt far more lonesome.. He seemed keen on looking out for you though, and you admired him for it. Many people trusted him immensely._

_You were beginning to see why._

_There was a calmness to him, and you found it easy to ask him the questions that plagued your mind._

_“Thatch…?”_

_“Hm?”_

_“Why was I allowed to stay aboard this ship? I tried to kill Whitebeard… I’m not even a pirate. I’m not particularly skilled or strong at anything… there really couldn’t be much I have to offer here.” The rag clutched between your palms was drained of its contents as you gripped it. Why had he asked you to be his daughter that day?_

_“Why accept someone just like that? Especially someone who’d try and take your life.”_

_The air grew heavy in the silence. Each second seemed to suffocate you more than the next until you finally got a reply._

_“You sound just like him.” A nostalgic smile played on his lips as he said this; eyes lost in some unknown memory._

_You turned your body to face him inquisitively._

_“Him?”_

_“Nothing.” With a shake of his head, he returned to the present._

_“I think… Pops just seems to like idiotic strays like you. Honest, straightforward, and reckless… but a good old fashioned heart.”_

_“What kind of answer is that?” A single laugh bubbled up. Vague as it might be, oddly enough you felt content with it._

There was a lot you’d hadn’t known. Sure you knew the basics of the Grand Line, or about Gold Roger and his legacy; but it felt more like a far-off fairytale than reality. Whitebeard was the strongest pirate in the world, and you’d tried to kill him. How were you to think a legend would be on your island? You’d been too preoccupied with trying to save your sibling that you hadn’t bothered to give the name a second thought. 

To think you’d been on a ship with such a legendary man… you never would have thought it possible. 

So why was he in the East Blue?? 

_  
“Marco?” The First Division commander wasn’t someone you normally caught alone. So when you saw him with his back perched up against the deck you knew it was your golden opportunity._

_“Oh. y/n. Did you need something yoi?”_

_You sidled up next to the blonde, just short of touching shoulders. If there was someone who might know the answer to your question, it had to be him. When you’d asked Thatch, all he could tell you were there was some duty Whitebeard had to fulfill. Even the cook wasn’t entirely sure as to why._

_“Why was Whitebeard in the East Blue? He's an Emperor, right? Shouldn’t he be in the New World?”_

_He shifted his weight, turning to face you. There was a far off look in his eyes, accompanied by a melancholy smile. It’d been the same question he’d asked when they first headed out to the East Blue. Only someone like Whitebeard would do something like that to keep his word, even decades after the matter._

_“He made a promise.”_

_You furrowed your brows, trying to make sense of the vague answer he’d given you. The way you tilted your head in perplexion must have been amusing; for only a few moments after he closed his eyes with a lighthearted laugh._

_“Don’t worry about it yoi.” His fingers sunk into the top of your skull, ruffling the silken strands that sprouted from your head._

_Not even a minute later, he’d disappeared behind the deck._

_The more you learned, the less you knew. It seemed Whitebeard was as mysterious as he was strong._

_And as much as you wanted to speak with him and truly learn his reasons, there was a fear of him you simply couldn’t shake._

The two weeks you’d spent doing odd jobs had served you well though. No longer did you feel aboard a ship; you were aboard a home. 

Still, you knew that you couldn’t exist outside of their realm of customs for long. Everyone had a division, and a proper role here… you were the only one who didn’t. There was a place you belonged on this ship, it was only a matter of finding it. 

You paused, eyes drifting to the sea. You couldn’t afford to be a log drifting in the current any longer. 

"Hey, y/n!" 

A man with an unkempt beard and fetid breath wrapped an arm around your shoulder, effectively breaking you from your trance.

"I swear every time I see ya, yer looking out at the sea, don't ya get tired of it?" 

You ruminated on his comment for a moment, eyes remaining ever fixed on the silver-lined horizon. It always seemed to have a gravity to it, and you’d felt drawn to it as long as you could remember. Perhaps that had been why you had avoided it for so long. 

"I guess... I’m not used to seeing it yet." Your body contorted as you wormed your way out from his grasp. 

"Maybe I should stop staring at the sea and find an actual job on the ship." You’d been thinking about it for a while now. The only issue was--

"Most of the females are nurses, ya-" 

Case and point.

"Absolutely not." The chill from your voice was enough to freeze him in his tracks.

"I think ya…. Ah--Nevermind. I’ll leave ya to it." It was as if he’d been talking to a venomous snake, ready to strike. Pirate or not, you’d certainly honed the talent of ‘looks that could kill’.

"I think I already know what I want to do anyway." After all, there was only one place you were even remotely qualified for. You’d just been too apprehensive to ask him the question. 

\---------------------------

He leaned against the chair, legs crossed with a hand stroking at his goatee. His eyes were clouded with contemplation. The anxiety started to take hold of your chest, strangling your lungs as you attempted to breathe. You had truly thought it would be a simple question, but he was taking it like you’d asked him the meaning of life. 

"No. Why don't you try to be a nurse? You'd probably do better there." The sexism on this ship was downright appalling. 

"If one more person tells me that I'm going to give them a few new holes." The sharpness of your words was enough to slice even a sea king in half. 

"...I take that back. You in charge of someone's health is a terrifying idea. As good as I think you’d look in the uniform." To make his unnecessary comment worse, he added a wink

"I'd start sleeping with one eye open if I were you" and you weren’t going to have any of it.

"You're cute...and then you start speaking and ruin it." His eyes closed as his fingers clawed out with the palms facing upwards. He shook his head in pity.

And with that; your patience had run out. 

Your hands latched at a wooden spoon, attempting to swing it at the cook who easily caught your hand in his own with practiced ease. Any attempt to reclaim your stolen appendage was met with a tighter grip. He lowered his head, meeting you at eye level. Heat began to lap at your cheeks; pupils dilating with consternation. With the amount of teasing, he gave you, perhaps asking him was a terrible idea. 

A dangerous light flickered in his eyes, and he started trailing his other hand towards your face. Your breathing hitched as sweat began to pool in your palms. As his face moved closer your heart rate quickened. Your brain was shouting run; while your feet were frozen to the spot. What was he doing?? He was a lot older than you and you didn’t even know him that well and he wasn’t even---

There was a painful _thwap_ against your forehead. Even as he released his grip your body remained tensed in position. 

It was as if time had frozen, and you remained deathly still for a few seconds. The only sign of life was the increasing redness in your cheeks.

"Yep, just what I thought. It’s a shame you have such a sharp tongue when you're able to make such cute faces." 

"Thatch wh-" He interrupted you, shaking his head. 

"Can you even cook, y/n?" 

He was trying to switch the topic before you could berate him for his shady behavior. Your features twisted, glowering at him as if to say _‘I’m not going to forget that’_. Due punishment aside, he was at least getting to the heart of what you’d asked him for. 

"I can." 

"It's not the same as cooking for a single person or even a small family you know." He sighed, leaning back up against the counter. A finger was extended out towards to point at you. 

"You might think it’d be an easy job but there's a lot of people on this ship and as a cook, you have to make sure they're all full as well as given proper nutrition. It takes a lot of stamina, knowledge, and practice." 

"I can do it." There wasn’t a shred of doubt or hesitation in your words. 

"You're really way too confident about this." He pinched the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. You never were one to be argued with. He’d learned this much from you at least. 

"I have a lot of experience cooking for pirates." Just remembering the hellish work ethic you’d dealt with in your time working at the tavern made you shudder. It couldn’t have been much worse working here than it was for her. 

"I can't just tell you yes."

And just like that your hopeful heart began plummeting to the floor.

"But I can let you prove whether you're suited for it or not. Though, you really don’t seem like the cooking type to me." He sighed, seemingly exhausted at the idea. 

You raised an eyebrow. It was as if he was looking at a child the way your eyes sparkled with giddiness. 

“I’ll give you a time limit and you’ll have to make a meal for a couple of people within that time. If you make enough to fill them, be nutritionally balanced, and they like the taste, I’ll let you work in the kitchen. How about it?” 

There was no avoiding the rise of your lips as the confidence shone on your face.  
“I am going to make you eat your words, and I mean that both figuratively and literally. ” A finger trailed above your lips with a mischievous “Hehe”. 

Even he couldn’t help but laugh at that one. 

“I’ll find some test subjects… and how about you cook a separate lunch tomorrow?” 

“Test subjects? You make it sound like I’m going to end up _poisoning_ them." 

“I wouldn’t put it past you with the venomous way you speak.” You clicked your tongue in annoyance. 

“If I didn’t learn how to stand up for myself, I wouldn’t have been able to last a month taking care of myself let alone my brother.” You simply didn’t have the privilege of growing up to be a spoiled and fragile girl; not that you’d ever want to.

He sent a playful hand to your skull ruffling your h/c tresses. 

“I’ll see you in the kitchen tomorrow.” You replied with a playful punch into his side coupled with a smirk. 

As much as his teasing could be annoying and embarrassing, you liked to think that if you had an older sibling, it’d be someone like Thatch. 

\----------------------------------------------------

Your hair was tied into a tight ponytail, not a single stray strand in sight. While there was a part of you that was anxious, you had no doubt you’d be able to prove yourself. Plus you just _really_ didn’t want to be stuck as some nurse. Risque outfit aside; you still had your own reasons you couldn’t. 

One deep breath in, one deep breath out. 

You had this in the bag, y/n. 

You descended the wooden steps cautiously, part of you praying to God you didn’t slip down them for some unforeseen reason. It wasn’t that you’d ever done so before, but today you were a bundle of nerves. Today would make or break your experience on the ship. 

As the mesh hall came into view, a couple of familiar faces greeted your vision. Thatch was already there, and you’d expected as much. He was leaning over the wooden table, chatting with Marco who sat across from him. It was a weird sight to see the area so empty, asides from a couple of people. They both offered a friendly smile when they noticed your presence.

“Ready?” Thatch asked as he stood up.

“Of course.” You were only half lying. 

He seemed to like your answer none the same. 

“If you mess up you’ll have some hungry pirates to appease, try not to let that make you nervous.” Sometimes you wondered just how much Thatch liked seeing you suffer.

A quick glance of the room offered who those pirates would be. 

Haruta and Vista sat in one corner in what looked to be a pretty heated conversation...probably sword stuff.

Kana; the nurse who'd helped patch you up when you first got on the ship was sitting with her chin resting in her propped-up arm. Her long and slender legs were crossed, the pink miniskirt just barely covering up what lay beyond the curve of her upper thighs. Emerald green eyes that could swallow galaxies with milk chocolate curls that stopped just above her collarbone. She had an irresistible aura about her; the kind that drew in both men and women alike.

You’d been guilty of judging the book by its cover; and assumed there to be nothing more to her than her flawlessly sculpted looks. To be proved wrong had filled your heart with shame but she smiled with such heartfelt kindness it blocked out the guilt filling your own. The conversations you’d shared with her felt so precious, and she seemed to have a way of making you laugh as easy you blinked. There were some things you just couldn’t talk about with barbarous pirates so you appreciated having a female to talk to aboard the ship. 

Two men were ogling her from across the table to which she was completely unaware. They… were people you probably interacted with before-- probably. With so many faces it was hard to keep track of them all. 

Then in another corner was a large and unkempt barrel-chested man, who you always saw munching on something; today was no different. You recoiled at the sight of him. If there had been one person you didn’t like in this crew; it was him. People normally didn’t creep you out, and the fact that he did was saying something. You wanted to limit your interactions and time near him as much as possible. Something about Teach did not sit right with you. 

Then draped over a table to himself, was the runner up for your most detested member of the crew. As he caught sight of you; he grinned, straightening himself up. His annoyingly bright hat was draped over his, yet again, shirtless back. The very flames he was made out of seemed to burn into your cheeks. You returned a smile that exuded everything but kindness. 

"Am I to assume _everyone_ here is a judge?" Scrutiny filled your voice as much as it did your eyes as you did a final look over the room.

"That's a safe assumption." 

“Ugh.” You murmured under your breath with a sigh. 

As you trailed Thatch into the kitchen, you spared one final glance to Fire Fist. 

Marco hollered out just before you disappeared into the back.

"I look forward to what you cook up!" 

Well, now you really couldn't fuck up.

No matter how many times you managed to enter the kitchen the impeccable way it was cleaned and organized felt less likely a pirate ship and more like a restaurant. The people who worked back here cared a lot about it, it was evident in how well kept it was. Your heart fluttered at the idea of this place in full production mode… it would probably be a lot of fun wouldn't it? You’d always cooked alone, but you always longed to feel what it would be like to cook in tandem with a team. Your fingers gingerly trailed the counter as you pressed further on inside. A heap of assorted meats and vegetables were stacked miles high on one of the counters. 

"My ingredients?" 

He nodded.

"I'll give you two hours. You can use any of these ingredients along with whatever spices and herbs you want." 

Well, it sounded easy enough.

"I'll get it done in one and a half." Perhaps a little presumptuous, but confidence was key for a situation like this. 

You rolled up your sleeves; it was time to make the meal of their lives. 

\-------------------------------

Perspiration beaded on your forehead sliding down your face as if you'd been in the rain. Not once had you put this much effort into making a meal before. But in a way, your sanity was on the line and you simply couldn't afford to mess this up. 

Occasionally you'd get a few onlookers to check up on what you were doing but Thatch didn't let them hang around for long. If they weren't a cook they had no reason to be in the kitchen, or so he'd said. A kitchen was a sacred place, and if they weren’t cooking they had no right to enter. At the moment though, it was just you slaving away over the stove. You weren't sure about the specifics but you knew Thatch was the one primarily in charge of helping Whitebeard with whatever illness plagued him. There was more to it than just old age, but even the doctors seemed stupefied about trying to cure it. 

Without Thatch to guard the kitchen from unwanted visitors, luck was not on your side. 

“It smells pretty good, never woulda guessed you could cook.” 

You remained fixated on the task at hand. Maybe if you pretended he didn’t exist, he’d leave. Eventually, he caught on to your attempt to blatantly ignore him. 

His fingers raked back his raven hair, pushing it away from his freckled brow. 

“Are you still mad? I said I was sorry.” 

A carrot met its untimely end, snapping in your forceful grip. 

“Ugh…” Thick digits clawed at his head, attempting to muster all the brainpower he could. 

“I humbly pleadificate for your most sincerest forgivifications.” His back straightened, going parallel to the floor, raven hair hanging over his face as bowed. 

“Half of those aren’t even words!” You halted immediately, body going rigid as you scowled at the second division commander. 

“Listen-- I’m really sorry okay. I swear I was grabbing a skirt… I think I thought I was…”

“How is that any better?!” At this point, you were going to have an aneurysm. 

“You lifted my shirt up to wipe your face in front of almost the ENTIRE CREW!” You had never felt so mortified in your life as you had that moment. He’d left the mounds of your chest; hidden only behind a meager amount of delicate lace on full view for everyone to see. 

“I promise I’ll make it up to you, whatever you want, so can you stop being so angry?” He clapped his hands together pleadingly. 

Just what kind of pushover did he take you for? 

“Ace, you wanna know what would help me forgive you?” 

He perked up at this, looking towards you expectantly. _So childish._ He hadn't even noticed the animosity laced in your words. 

“What is it?” 

You placed the ladle down gently, spreading your palms out flat against the counter. You spared him your undivided attention for a few moments. The tensed muscles stopped contracting as you willed them to relax, letting the heat that had burned your face ease out of your system. In this state of calm, you locked eyes, mustering up every ounce of sweetness you could. With a blinding smile and silky sweet voice; 

“Then please, kindly, take a swim in the ocean and stay there.” It was as if you were a teddy bear stuffed with poison. 

He’d never met someone so adamant about staying angry with him. The Fire Fist was grasping at straws. The idea of a friend being mad at him soured his stomach, but he just couldn’t find a way to appease you. Perhaps he should ask Marco or Thatch-

“Ace! What are you doing in the kitchen? I’ve told you before; don’t come back here if you aren’t a cook!” Think of the devil and he shall appear. Ace could only smile at him sheepishly. 

Your eyes shifted towards the return of the master chef. Never had you felt more relieved to see Thatch than you had now. The pent up frustration melted away once the ravenette was finally out of sight. 

“Are you ever gonna give him a break? I know it’s… a bit of a weird habit, but he’s done the same thing more times than I can count. I think he’s having a hard time with it, no one’s ever stayed mad at him even after he apologized.” _Oh to be young and handsome again…_ Thatch could only reminisce on the times he’d had that kind of luxury. 

You offered a sidelong glance while you went back to work at the task at hand. 

“Then it’s about time he was reprimanded for it. If he’s done it before; why has no one bothered to drill it into his head that using someone's clothes as a way to wipe his face is widely inappropriate?” It was a point even Thatch couldn’t refute. So, the better choice was to change the subject. 

“I’m not giving any extra time, even if someone distracted you.” 

“Don’t need it. I’ll be done in twenty.” You flipped the meat that had been sizzling in the pot; it was a perfectly timed flip, just slight of the side being fully cooked so that when the other side was finally done, the top would be too. 

Even after the first thirty minutes, Thatch could already tell you were going to be just fine as a cook. Now all that was left for what he assumed would be the customers of today’s meal to likely say, they liked it. 

\--------------------------------

True to your word, twenty minutes later you’d had nine bowls filled with an appetizing soup; as well as skewers mixed with starchy vegetables and meats. 

Thatch whistled, impressed with your handiwork. 

“So what’s on the menu, chef?” 

“Sea viper soup, it’s got a lot of good nutrients and health-boosting properties. The skewers… aren’t all that special though. Something to help in filling them up.” 

He’d started to guess that you were making something along those lines, but it was still surprising to see someone who’d never been out on the sea pull it off regardless.

“How’d you learn to cook like this? Even in a tavern, these aren’t ingredients you’d have used before.” Something about it was odd. How’d someone like you know how to make it? He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. 

“I read it in a book.” 

“A book? ...like a cookbook?” 

“Yeah, something like that. I just remembered the recipe, well mostly, and improvised from there. ” You shrugged him off, grabbing a few of the bowls. 

“Are you gonna help me carry some out or not?” You didn’t really want to admit your make-believe tendencies as a child. The number of times you’d read and pretended to make the things you found in that book or acted out the scenarios--- It was the past, and there was no use dwelling on it. Just the slightest of smiles appeared on your face, but within the timespan of a blink, it’d vanished. 

The amount of attention focused on your figure as you left the kitchen was stifling. It was like you’d suddenly entered a den of hungry lions; which in hindsight wasn’t far off from the truth. 

Kana was the first to clap her hands and speak. 

“Wow it looks amazing! I knew you were gonna make something great, y/n!” 

Your fingers fidgeted against each other after setting some of the bowls down. Suddenly you felt far more bashful. Was it because people you’d known personally were going to eat your food? 

Everyone started to huddle towards the table you’d set the bowl down on, and your wingman Kana was quick to slap at eager hands that tried to take an early bite. 

“Zeha ha ha! I bet it will taste great!”  
_Teach, you like everything you eat_ the thought came quietly, and you dared not speak it. You just hoped he’d eat and leave, much longer around this man and you were going to get the chills. 

“Truly, beautiful looking meal. Almost as if I’m looking at something Thatch cooked up.” Ever the gentleman Vista was. 

“You didn’t help her, did you yoi?” The First Division commander spoke up towards Thatch who came in the room with the rest of the dishes in tow. 

“Not even a little. So I can’t guarantee you whether it’s poisonous or not.” If Thatch hadn’t been holding the fruits of your labor you would have kicked him right then and there. 

“I’m excited to try it, don’t let Thatch teasing you get to you too much, he does it all the newbies.” Haruta shot a quick glance at Ace as he said this. The freckled man, on the other hand, seemed almost lost in thought, a stark contrast to his normal behavior. 

That hint of a sullen expression was irking you. The fact that you were starting to feel bad only twisted that knot growing in your gut harder. It wasn’t right to feel bad for something _he had_ done. 

You shoved the bowl in front of him heavily, attempting to break him from his trance. The darkness that had clouded his vision was gone in an instant, as he was back to the same old cheery self. It appeared no one was the wiser to the shadow that had been cast over his vision. 

“It looks delicious!” You averted your gaze. As long as he wasn’t making those weird faces anymore that was all that mattered. 

“Alrighty! Everyone ready to dig in?”

Most of them looked ready to pounce from the looks of it. 

He gave the signal. 

[Luffy's Theme]

It was like watching a bunch of animals the way some of them ravenously put down the soup or ate entire skewers at once. You sighed, the exhaustion finally hitting you. Slumping down in a chair at the end you crossed your arms over the wood before laying your head atop them with your head turned to face the group eating. 

“Well… at least it seems everyone likes it.” It was an… odd feeling. You’d never really felt this way before, there was almost a warmth growing in your chest as you watched them eat. The only guess you could make was it was something along the lines of contentment. So far, it looked like they approved. 

All that was left was Thatch’s verdict. And luckily, it seemed you didn’t have to wait for too long. 

“Well everyone, I think it’s pretty unanimous…. And no one’s poisoned or dying?” You shot daggers at the cook. 

“I think in a couple of years she’ll give you a run for your head cook position yoi.”

“It’s -- _munch_ really-- _munch_ goo- _zzzzzz_ ” His cheeks were stuffed with food, while a half-eaten skewer was stuck in his left hand, and a spoon still full of soup in his right. 

Without a moment's hesitation, you’d pried a spoon from one of the poor pirate's hands, and sent it hurtling towards his face. 

It hit dead center. 

“Don’t fall asleep in the middle of judging!” Ace sluggishly blinked a few times, swallowing what had been in his cheeks with one big gulp, before promptly passing out again. 

The interaction brought the entire room bursting into laughter. Not exactly your desired outcome. 

“y/n, you and Ace would make a great comedy duo.” Kana had been the first one to speak up. It was hard to be bothered by the laughter when she looked so elated...but had she forgotten what he'd done to you? 

"Perhaps you could be a nightly entertainer, Miss y/n." Was Vista using such vague language on purpose? 

"Vista, that sounds awfully suspicious." You couldn't have wanted a better look than the one Haurta shot Vista. 

"Zeha ha ha ha! If you want to _entertain_ me…" The contents in your stomach began to curdle. 

"So!" Kana clapped her hands together loudly to garner everyone's attention. _Thank you for the save, Kana…_ She truly was an angel. 

"Thatch, it's about time you tell y/n whether she passed your test, isn't it?" 

All eyes focused on the cook. A wide grin spread on his face as he made his way over towards you and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. 

"I'd like you all to meet the new member of the Fourth Division; y/n the cook!"

Kana seemed to sparkle with delight along with Pirates A and B. Vista and Hauta looked rather impressed. Ace was still sleeping. Marco seemed to have a look about him that said _"I knew you could do it"_. And Teach could disappear for all you cared. 

Thatch seemed as giddy as a pirate who'd just found a stash of treasure. 

"Don't think I'll go easy on you though. You're a rookie with a lot to learn, y/n." 

"Yeah, yeah." Even you couldn't hide behind a facade of apathy. It was if the corners of your lips had been tugged up by strings. You couldn't erase the peace of mind you felt from being accepted. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, but irrevocably, you were finding your home. 

\----------------------

That evening the sky seemed to burn brighter than ever. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky to obscure the milky glow of the stars. Perhaps the sentimentality had gotten to you, but it'd been a while since you took some time to reminisce. Something about the sky seemed to call you today, and you were sure the view would have been even better from up high. 

"Hey, Marco. Can… I ask a weird favor?" 

"What is it yoi?" Upon seeing the sheepish smile you were sporting he could tell you were going to ask something odd. 

“You… can fly, right?” You paused. It was… definitely a bit embarrassing to ask for someone's help like this. 

“Can you take me to the crows nest? I wanna have a little time to myself up there.”

Even the Phoenix seemed a little incredulous at the idea, but he agreed. 

Sure you could have probably attempted to climb it… but even you weren't that foolish. One slip of the hand and best case scenario was an extreme injury. 

“I don’t see why not… just be careful up there yoi. And if you need down, just yell.” He was still for a few moments, eyes trained on you and waiting. 

It took a couple of seconds for you to finally realize what asking him entailed. 

“Ah, I need to grab onto you, huh?” You bit at the inside of your lip. Just what kind of holes did you like digging yourself into?

With featherlight steps you approached him, bashful hands trying to figure the best way to hold onto the man. Why did the men here not wear shirts properly? However long it took you to get used to seeing these guys wasn’t going to be quick enough. 

Eventually, you found a pretty steady hold on the pirate. 

“Don’t let go, or it’ll be a pain yoi.” It was a pretty rude way of saying he’d catch you even if you _did_ lose your grip. But it was probably no more than a ten-second flight, not enough time for you to lose your hold in the least. 

No matter how many times you saw it, his Devil Fruit power was something that took your breath away. You truly envied the man who’d gotten such an amazing Devil Fruit. 

He eased your feet onto the platform of the nest, letting you take a few moments to regain your composure before you finally let your arms release from his neck. 

“Marco you can fly like that whenever you want?” 

“I suppose so yoi.”

“I’m envious.” The longer you stayed here the more you began to feel those sparks of jealousy begin to ignite. Everyone here was so strong, capable… and free. 

“Don’t worry about all that stuff. But are you sure you’ll be okay up here yoi?” 

You gave a resolute nod. 

“Just yell if you need me then. Don’t go trying to climb down on your own yoi.” 

“I don’t think I’m brave enough to try.” 

He hopped down with a lopsided smirk. 

With that, you were left to yourself. 

[I think of the past]

You eased your back against the mast letting all the tension slip from your fingers. When you finally lifted your head skyward; it was stunning. Even with all the times you’d looked to the sky with your brother, it was never as clear as it was now. 

Out in the ocean, there were no lights to challenge the stars, so the scattered lights above were left to shine as brilliantly as they pleased. It was if someone had scattered moon dust against an inky velvet backdrop. Some clusters of light shone radiantly in the night, while others you strained to see. 

In a way, it was like people. There were people your age who’d already accomplished so much, and they shone so bright it hurt to look at them. 

If you were a star, would you be one that shone brightly? Or would it be so dim that you’d never be seen?

No matter what though… you’d be there. 

Sometimes you could forget that no matter what they were always there above you. Even if couldn’t see them, they were always there. Perhaps that was why when your brother had first posed you the question, you told him.  
_“They became stars. Even in the daylight, they’re always there above us. Even if you can’t see them, they’re there. They’ll always be watching us from up above. So if you want to talk to them… just look above. ”_

Even if it was a contrived hope, you wanted to believe it. The world certainly felt a lot less lonely that way. A self-deprecating smile played on your lips. 

“I bet none of you would have guessed I’d become a pirate. To be honest… I never thought I would either.” Your knees curled to your chest, as you curled up against the night breeze. 

“I always thought they were all depraved and horrid people. I think I was wrong though. I judged them without ever truly giving one a chance.” 

The sea below looked as though lined in silver the way it sparkled in the moonlight glow. 

“Looks like I went to sea before you Garrin. Don’t get too mad at me.” 

What were you doing? Talking to yourself… how sentimental the human heart was. 

“What was he like?” The sudden voice from behind had been enough to startle you and your skeleton nearly leaped from it’s skin. 

There was a subtleness to his voice, one you hadn’t yet heard before. It was at mystifying to hear him speak so softly. 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I understand.” Ace took a seat adjacent to you, and you spared him a glance. 

You couldn’t even feel frustrated with him. When your met eyes he offered a wide smile and his eyes seemed to sparkle under the midnight sky. Almost immediately you’d shifted your eyes away. 

“I…” It was awkward. The words failed to form, getting stuck in your throat and you desperately struggled against your reluctant body. Yet...he didn’t say anything. He simply sat in silence, vision filling with the same diamond-dusted night as your own. 

Eventually, you found the words you wanted to say. 

“He was… a real big cry baby when he was younger. He’d cry over everything. Every single cut or scratch he’d want me to use my devil fruit for him. But before I’d realized it he’d stopped relying on me. He got so brave; brave enough to start saying he wanted to be a pirate.” Chuckles rolled from lips like water trickling through a stream. 

“Every time a new ship docked he’d be the first to bug them about their travels-- he wasn’t even scared of them. Somehow they never seemed to dislike him though. He kinda had that way about him. He was the type to draw everyone in with his cheerful attitude.” 

You shifted your weight, taking a quick moment to glance at Ace. Perhaps you’d misjudged him. Or perhaps you were simply drunk in your own nostalgia. He’d been the first person you’d spoken to about your brother… but he’d also been the first to ask. 

“You know…” Ace started. 

“In a way he sounds like my brother Luffy.” 

“You have a brother, Ace?” Somehow it was a little unexpected. 

“Yeah. Three years younger than me. Not related by blood but…” 

The soft light that filled his eyes was almost mesmerizing. 

“When I first met him, all he did was cry. He’d constantly follow me around while crying… but even though he was scared he’d keep following along. I thought he was pretty annoying at first. He was so loud and wild it was hard to deal with.” 

He seemed so happy talking about his brother. You could tell he cared tremendously for him. 

“Where is he now?” 

“He’s also from the East Blue. We both grew up on Dawn Island… it’s a bit of the way west from where you were… actually he should be setting off any time now. “ 

You’d never seen such sentimentality from Ace before. You hummed quietly, taking a moment to listen to the distant lapping of the sea. 

“You must miss him.” 

His smile was almost too dazzling to look at. 

“I had never really thought about it much when we were together but... it’s surprising how much I miss him.” 

“He sounds like a great brother.” 

“I’m sure he’ll set off and catch up to me in no time… and cause a ton of trouble along the way.” His laughter was infectious, and you felt yourself laughing with him. 

As the laughter died down and silence hung in the air it offered you time to recollect your thoughts on the ravenette. He had his moments but; he wasn’t malicious. 

You breathed out a sigh. How could you stay mad at him after-- whatever this moment was. 

“If you do anything weird again I’m going to personally smother that fire of yours, Flame brain.” 

“Flame...brain?” 

“Would you prefer Fire Face? Or Pervert?” 

“Can’t you just stick with Ace?” He sounded amused, almost unbothered by your insults. 

“Well see.” 

He crossed his arms behind his head, somehow with an even more cheerful smile than before. 

“I look forward to it, Miss Cook.” 

That was the best he could come up with? 

“And this is why your Flame Brain. Nothing but flames and hot air up there. Surely you could think of a better insult than that.” He turned his head towards you as one corner of his mouth lifted up. 

“I wasn’t trying to insult you. I don’t want to.” 

You hummed skeptically. 

Neither of you said anything for a while, and this time it was Ace’s turn to break the silence. 

“So why a cook? I mean… what you made was really good. I guess you never really looked like a cooking type to me.” 

“Guess we all have to learn to not judge people based on their looks.” You’d learned first hand that no matter what someone had seemed to be like… you couldn’t really know them unless you took the time to.

“It was what I did after… When it was just me and Garrin. I guess I played around as a kid and ‘cooked’ but… I wouldn’t say it’s my passion or anything. It’s just simply something I learned to do.” 

“You sure you don’t wanna join the Second Division instead? I think it’d be a lot of fun with you around.” He bore a cheeky grin and you pressed a palm into his cheek to turn his head away from your direction. 

He was… really warm. Part of you wanted to touch him more. _But if you got too close to a flame... you'd burn up._

“Sounds like fun for you, and painful for me.” The saliva seemed to get caught in your throat, and you couldn't seem to force it down. Heat began to burn all the way to your ears and you'd suddenly been left feeling self-conscious. Something was wrong. It was if your mind was sumberged in mud, none of your thoughts felt clear. Every single movement and word was suddenly more weighted than the next. 

“Hahahaha! C’mon… Oh! Why don’t you come with me into town tomorrow? We’ll be docking at an island known for its super good turtle dumplings.” 

You were going to be stopping at an island? The last few stops you hadn’t had the heart to leave the ship but… you kinda missed the feeling of dry land below your feet. 

“Are you paying for them?”

“If it means you’ll come.” You heaved a heavy sigh. Something told you you wouldn’t have a choice in the matter regardless. Ace seemed to be the very definition of “My Pace”. 

“Fine then.” You had yet to find out why Ace, and paying for food didn’t belong in the same sentence. 

Your limbs creaked in protest as you finally stood up after having sat down for so long.

“ I think I wanna head to bed. Can you tell Marco to help me down?” 

“I can help-”

“Marco.” You’d had enough… contact with Ace for the night. You were sure if you had to hug onto him like you did Marco--- you weren't going to survive it. Not with the way you were feeling already. 

Your blatant desire for Marco to help you seemed to irk the ravenette, but lucky for you he obliged. 

A day out of the ship and in town. It was exciting. 

Little did you know the disaster it would turn out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished reading Ace's light novels and I--- He's so fucking precious. If you haven't read them I highly suggest you check out his light novels. It helped with a lot of insight into writing this chapter. I kinda wish I'd gotten them sooner as I would have an even clearer idea for how the Whitebeard pirates were before I'd written those first chapters ;;


	5. A totally normal day in town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh. Finally done with this chapter. This chapter really tested my ability to push through the lack of inspiration in some parts. 
> 
> It's thanks to all your kind comments that keep me writing this, so thank you so much for all your kind words I really appreciate it. (இ﹏இ`)
> 
> I was really nervous since it was my first fanfiction but I'm happy to know people are enjoying it.

Pink lips were pulled taut. While you’d agreed to go with him, there was a nervous energy that ran through your system. Any semblance of focused thoughts were swept up like leaves in the wind under the constant stream of intruding questions. Would the people be similar to the ones from home, or would they live completely different lifestyles? Would you stand out? 

And more importantly; what would an excursion with _Ace_ be like?

Could he even behave himself in public? Or were you going to be stuck babysitting a full-grown child? 

“Ugh…” The heaved sigh was heavy, weighted by the worries plaguing your mind. It was almost like you enjoyed giving yourself headaches. 

When you finally managed to focus, your eyes drifted to a small red sack that sat atop the desk innocuously. Should you bring your own money? Slender fingers trailed towards your lips as you ruminated on the idea. While it wasn’t a lot by any means, simply something you’d managed to save up in the few years working at the tavern; it would provide ample spending money. In the case you saw something you really wanted it was probably best to have it, even if Ace was treating you to food. 

You slid the pouch into the pockets of your denim shorts, the clinking of the berries filling the quiet air as you did so. Today's outfit was a little more stylish as opposed to what you’d normally worn aboard the ship. You opted for a blue and white striped loose tank top, with denim shorts that stopped about two inches above your knees; as opposed to typical jeans and t-shirts you’d typically adorned. You were going into public, so it would only make sense to look a little bit nicer, right? 

Speaking of, it was about time to head out. 

As you were about to turn the knob; the door opened for you. Standing in front of you was a familiar mop of raven hair over a sea of freckles. 

"Oh! I was just coming to get you. All set?" You eyed him for a few moments. A thousand-watt smile was stapled to his features, and the embers of excitement danced in his eyes. 

"I suppose so." 

Instead of moving though, he seemed to pause for a few moments, eyes scanning over your form. The constant roaming of his eyes seems to last for hours, while in reality only taking a few seconds. Did you look strange? Your cheeks dusted a pale pink under his gaze. After he finally turned away, he began to lead the way with a mirthful smile. You quietly trailed after him. 

From behind you could take a moment to truly survey the painted canvas of his back. It was hard not to notice just how broad his shoulders were, the way his muscles rippled and jerked with each movement. Most of all… the jolly roger planted right in between the toned blades. Was it because of Whitebeard's symbol that he always went shirtless? Or was it because he was made of fire? There were so many oddities about Ace that you wanted to figure out. He seemed to incite your curiosity in the worst of ways. 

As the two of you were about to head of the ship the Fourth Division Commander called out to you. 

“Make sure to keep a good eye on him!” 

You spared a glance towards Thatch and paused momentarily. It seemed you were indeed Ace’s designated babysitter. You waved your hands as if to say ‘yeah yeah’. 

Your feet landed against solid earth. The first soil-ridden ground you’d touched in over a month. It left you a little awestruck as you took in the surrounding land. 

Green. 

You never knew how much you’d miss seeing something as simple as grass-- or trees. Your eyes glimmered with the faintest of lights. From the looks of it though; you hadn’t been docked on a well-kept area, or anywhere near a town for that matter. Ace seemed to catch on as you glanced around as if you were trying to find something. 

“The towns beyond this forest. We can’t really afford to brandish that we’re here.” 

Now that you thought about it, it made sense. If the balance was so important between all the powers of the world, then people knowing Whitebeard was gone from his territory could spell trouble. What kind of promise would make him do something that was so risky though? Were you misunderstanding the way pirates worked…? You groaned wiping at your face pushing some of your hair back. 

There was still so, so much to learn.

“How long till we reach town?” 

“Probably thirty minutes or so. Not that long a walk.” You intertwined your fingers and pressed them upwards palms facing the sun as you stretched out your limbs. 

“Haaaah. Guess we better be on our way then. I hope you know I’m holding you to your agreement to pay for my food.” 

“Hahah! Don’t worry. I’ll let you eat until you’re too stuffed to move.” Your eyebrows raised. 

“I won’t overdue it, like you tend to while eating. Seriously, do you have a black hole for a stomach or something?” You sent a scrutinizing glance towards his stomach as you said this. 

Bad idea. 

An eyeful of perfectly sculpted abs that constricted with a chuckle that broke free from his throat. Still not something your (mostly) maiden heart could handle. 

You trotted off ahead of him, attempting to put some space between you and keep his figure behind your view. 

“Oh. You wanna race?” He grinned, that usual lopsided cocky smirk that made you want to roll your eyes into the back of your skull. 

“No, I don’t. So don’t even try.” A quickened pace was met with him easily matching it and keeping by your side. 

“Why are you in such a hurry, then?” 

“I fear that if I remain within two feet of you for too long I’m going to catch your stupidity. So mind keeping an arms-length away?” 

He erupted into laughter, this time being the one to trot in front of you. He tilted his head back to look at you as he walked forward. 

“You’re really too funny, y/n.” 

The male then gradually inched closer to you, till only a meager three inches were left between your shoulders. You could feel the heat that radiated off of his skin. 

“What are you doing?” You attempted to sidestep a little farther away; voice woven with annoyance. The ravenette copied your movement attempting to keep the gap closed. You shot a few daggers, halting immediately in your tracks. He paused only a second after you did. 

There was a brief flash of confusion on his face that was replaced by a cheery grin. 

“Didn’t I say to keep an arms distance away?” His grin grew to a smirk. 

“You didn’t say who’s arm.” _What a smart ass._ You jutted your chin out and turned away with an indignant huff. 

“The length of my arm away. I still have the ability to say I don’t want to go you know.” You crossed your arms glowering at him. You start giving him a chance and then he starts messing with you? You were definitely taking any thoughts you had last night back. This guy was annoying. 

“Sorry, sorry. Was just joking. Let’s get going.” With that, he trotted off a couple of feet ahead of you, and you reluctantly followed. 

Seriously, what had you been thinking? No amount of food would have been worth dealing with this guy.  
\------------------------------------

Thatch paused in his tracks, gripping the broom tightly in his fingers as his gaze focused on a wallet lying innocently on one of the benches. 

“Marco, isn’t this Ace’s?” The phoenix turned towards the item in question, almost instantly crumpling with exhaustion. 

“Not again yoi.” Far too many times had they gotten into hot water thanks to Ace and his inability to pay for food. 

“I wonder if y/n will be okay.” Thatch’s gaze turned towards the door, eyes clouding in worry.

Marco thought about the idea for a few moments. 

"She'll be fine. Ace might be the one in hot water if he causes her trouble.” 

“You’re probably right.” They both shared a chuckle at that. 

\--------------------------

Through the foliage of trees and plants, the rectangular outline of buildings started to come into view. Since when did buildings feel so nostalgic? There was no denying the weird sensation you felt in your heart as seeing them. As you got closer the sounds of voices and bustling of people and crowds grew more apparent. 

The smell of food wafted out from the distance and true to his word; it spelled absolutely delightful. 

“Is that the smell of those turtle dumplings you were talking about?” You turned to Ace-- only to find Ace was not there. You blinked, gave a quick look over the area; looked it over once more--

There was no Ace. 

“Uggggggh” You groaned, shoving your fingers to rake through your hair in vexation. You haven't even gotten to town and he’s already ditched you? 

You jogged your way past the brush and through the alleyway into the crowded street. There were several different shops lined across stone cobbled roads, each selling things in a variety of colors. A couple of stalls were lined up selling different foods, some of which you had never even seen or heard of. Your eyes continued to make work of the town before you found a familiar speck of bright orange in the distance. 

You made quick work of the distance between you, grabbing at the only hold you could, a string of bright red beads that wrapped around his neck. It halted Fire Fist right in his tracks and he swiveled his head to turn towards you, the one responsible for grabbing onto his necklace. His cheeks were stuffed with food, and there were a plethora of random foods gripped haphazardly in his digits. 

“Ace what do you think your do- _omph_ ” You stared wide-eyed trying to process what had just taken place. He’d immediately pushed something into your mouth with a close-eyed smile. You chewed on the warm substance; letting its juices permeate your taste buds. If you had to guess, you’d say it was one of the sea turtle dumplings in question. It was almost delicious enough to keep you from getting mad, almost. 

“I was wondering where you went. Good right?” He brought one into his own mouth, visage illuminated with delight. 

With a heavy gulp, you forced the food down your throat. Your fingers balled into fists, arms straightening at your sides. 

“Wondering where I went? You were wondering where _I_ went?” Your voice was slowly gaining decibels as you continued. 

“You were the one who wandered off! Don’t give me that ‘I was wondering where you went', you totally ditched me!” His eyes widened with a look of pure shock.

“I didn’t, I swear. One moment you were there and the next you weren’t.” Scrutiny filled your narrowed eyes as you tried to decide whether to punch him right then and there or give him yet another chance that he didn’t deserve. 

You were far too soft. 

“Then make sure not to move anywhere unless you can see me. You owe me extra for that stunt.” It was all you could do to heave out a sigh and take another gander at the area. It seemed like a really nice, and pretty port town. It really put into perspective just how big the world was- and how small you were in comparison.

Your gaze shifted to a small container of round balls, they were fried golden and topped with what you could assume to be bonito flakes. In other words, _Takoyaki_.

“Give me that.” Your index finger extended towards the takoyaki in question. Ace looked at you quizzically. 

“I said you owe me extra. So pay me with the takoyaki.” In all honestly, it was a cheap price to pay. Yet he looked so uncertain. It was plainly written across his face that he’d really wanted to eat them. 

“Aaagh.” You snatched the item from his hands, using one of the toothpicks to stab two of the balls like a skewer. Then you offered it back. You were really way too soft on this oversized child. Yet he still seemed to be pouting about it. 

“I should have gotten more.” 

You rolled your eyes as you popped one of the octopus balls into your mouth and ventured a little farther into town. 

You had to admit Ace certainly had a good taste in food. At this rate, you might end up buying a container for yourself. Still, it wasn’t often you’d been able to go into a town… perhaps a book or clothes would be a better option. Swiveling your head you turned to look at Ace who-- was already starting to walk off. 

“Didn’t I just say not to wander off?” There was no longer any point in treating him like a capable adult, he definitely wasn't. Gripping at the emblem that fell from his hat you pulled him along like a dog on a leash. 

"Hey hey be careful; you're going to rip it. Sorry I was just-- something over there smelt really good." You let out a huff, continuing to drag him along without a word. 

Then a store caught your eyes. Emblazoned in gold lettering over a turquoise painted wooden storefront was the word "Books". You released the string of Ace's hat. He stared at you for a few seconds seemingly curious. 

"I'm going to take a quick look in here. I won't be long so wait for me out here." 

Leaning against the front of the bookstore he offered a grin. 

"Got it." 

Even if he said alright, part of you still felt hesitant to enter the bookstore. He wouldn't just wander off again, right? There was no escaping the dread that settled in your gut.

"It'll only be a minute." You reaffirmed him, before walking into the store. 

Shelves taller than you lined the space, filled to the brim with a variety of colors. The smell of old books mixed with the smell of fresh ink was comforting. It seemed most of the shelves were arranged by section, and you strolled deeper into the store, a finger trailing along the wooden surface of one of the shelves. You weren't entirely sure what you wanted or what you were looking for, anything to read would have been great when you never knew how long it was going to be before you saw land again.

As you looked through the shelves, a title caught your eye: "The fall of Gold Roger and the Rise of Piracy". It seemed to be a newer book, published within the last year. Hesitantly your hands pulled it out and your fingerpads gently trailed over the cover. You were curious. There had been so much you'd played blind to, and avoided or scorned with a heart full of prejudice. 

Placing the book under your arm you did another quick look over the store. Two books would probably be good enough for now. In an attempt to be quick you grabbed one of the first novels that seemed to catch your eye. It appeared to be a type of mystery romance, something that sounded entertaining enough. You (reluctantly) gave a quarter of the berries you'd had in pocket money for your new reading materials to the clerk. 

"Ace…?" 

The front of the book store no longer had his figure leaned up against it. Even after scanning the area around you, you couldn't seem to pinpoint that annoying orange hat. 

That annoying itch in the back of your mind had been right. He took off without you. Stifling a groan you wearily walked further into the street. You could mostly remember the way back to the Moby Dick at least. The question was did you simply try and head back or explore a little more on your own. That, or find where the idiot that left you was and give him the thrashing of his life. 

A little adventure every now and then didn’t seem like a bad idea. 

You’d only be wandering for about fifteen minutes when the sound of a commotion grew louder in the distance. Several marines were hastily running about, trying to track something down. A few others were interrogating the stall owners. Likely a pirate causing trouble, something you'd seen plenty of times before. As usual, the marines would catch the culprit and lock him up. Such was the life of a pirate-ridden world. 

You gave one final glance to the marines; only to find they were now looking at, and pointing at you. That couldn’t be right. Swiveling your head you attempted to see who it was they were probably pointing to; someone had to have been by you.

Except, there was no one there aside from you. Sure you were _traveling_ with pirates but, were you a pirate? What did being a pirate mean? At what point do you cross the line of a normal citizen and into that of a pirate? Involuntarily your muscles began to stiffen as one of the marines came jogging towards you, with a stall owner in tow. 

“That’s it! She was with that thief!” 

Well, that didn’t sound good. Perhaps it was best you make your way out of here--

“Wait!” A rough hand caught you by the collar of your shirt. This definitely wasn’t good. 

“Ah… hello Mr. Marine. Is there something I can help you with?” Could you bluff your way out? 

“Your description matches up with the person who was colluding with a thief. Several people have given your exact description.” You were with a thief? The blood in your veins dropped a few degrees. Was it? There was no way it was-

A voice rang out from the marines transponder snail. 

“The thief has been identified as Fire Fist Ace!” 

It was. 

“I’m sorry but we’ll have to take you in for questioning.” 

You were doomed. 

\---------------------------------------------------

“Like I said! I didn’t even know who he was. He was paying me back since I’d helped find an item he lost. I had no idea he was paying me back by _stealing._ "

It had been the best excuse you could think of in the spur of the moment. And the man in front of you wasn't buying it. Sweat formed on your brow, heart getting squished under the weight of your emotions. Never in a million years would you have imagined a scenario like this. Your fingers curled clawing at the table beneath you. There had to be something you could do here. You just-- needed more time to think. 

That was it! 

Your expression contorted into a pained shock, limbs beginning to squirm and wriggle beneath you, body curling into itself. With your neck bent and face shielded behind the curtain of your hair, you worked at the final touch. You'd never been extremely strong at acting, especially when it came to crocodile tears. So you were gonna have to settle for the real thing. It was the memories you had tried so hard to suppress. 

_Garrin…_

"Sir… I…." Pain weaved into your words without any conscious effort. 

"I… is there a bathroom? I don't think I can hold it." 

His pupils narrowed as the meaning of your words began to settle in. 

"Ah… err! Come this way." The way he fretted nervously trying to open the door and direct you out confirmed your charade had worked. 

The hall outside the room they had been questioning you was long and narrow, doors littered on every side of it, but most importantly, _it was empty_. Either way, it was good news for you. Whether it be trying to simply run or fight your way out; the fewer people the better. 

A voice spoke up, and he let go of your arm ushering you to a door. 

"Right here. I'll… give you five minutes." 

Definitely not a lot of time to work with but you'd make do. 

"Th-ank you!" You pressed into the room like a panicked animal. Once inside you leaned against the door and breathed a sigh. 

It was a plain one-person bathroom. No windows. As much as you wanted to simply be let go as an unfortunate civilian, it was a fifty-fifty chance on whether they'd buy it. Not to mention if multiple people saw you with that idiotic flames for brains-

Fingers strained into tight woven fists. You were going to kill him. That was if you could somehow make it out of the mess he got you into. 

Facts were: Ace had stolen all the food. People saw you hanging with Ace and partaking in unknowingly stolen food. The marines didn't believe your civilian cover story in the slightest. Plus, there was that over looming threat; _could they use your father's crimes against you?_

Either way, your outcome didn't look good if you went with the flow of things. So that left one option: escape. 

There was no window, which left the easiest escape path out of the plan. 

Then what about the marine outside the door? If you could escape and run past him, that didn't help if more people saw you. Someone running around in a marine building without a uniform would be a dead giveaway. You'd be caught in no time. 

So what were you supposed to do? It felt like your head was going to split as you tried to figure a way out of your predicament. Panicked eyes scanned for anything that could help you, some sort of inspiration for a plan. 

There was only one clear path you could see.

How much did your freedom mean to you? How much did spending time with those pirates mean to you? Your lips trembled as you bit them. 

_Fight._

If you fought you'd be labeled as a criminal. There would be no return to ordinary life. You'd forever be an outlaw. 

But… you'd already gone past the point of no return, hadn't you? 

Unsteady legs carried you towards the toilet. Its glossy finish reflecting the light overhead. Your fingers gripped at the top of it; prying the lid from the back of the toilet tank. It was ceramic and sturdy, something you could use as a weapon.

If you weren't a criminal yet, you were about to be. 

Your limbs trembled as adrenaline coursed through your veins. Everything seemed distant except the ever-present thrumming of your heart. 

Breathe… 

You positioned yourself behind the door, the heavy lid lifted up over your head. When he entered you'd have to smash it against his skull. The fear and anxiety constricted your heart and it felt like every breath you took was held hostage in your chest. You'd never attacked anyone so seriously before-- the idea was unpleasant. 

"Hey! Your five minutes are up!" 

Your limbs tensed as you remained silent. The constant drumming of your heart was painfully loud, and part of you worried it'd give away your location. 

The sound of a clack. 

Everything seemed to go by in slow motion. 

The painful _crack_ as the ceramic collided with his skull. 

The look on his face as his eyes glazed over. 

The way his body went slack and dropped to the floor. 

The ear-breaking ring as your grip released from the object and slammed into the tiled surface. 

Your whole body shook with the high of an adrenaline rush and you could barely manage to drag the man further into the bathroom with your unsteady limbs. 

Did you kill him? Taking a life… wasn't something you were sure you could live with. A cautious hand wormed its way towards his neck, and relief flooded your systems when the steady thump of a heartbeat pulsed beneath your fingers. 

_I’m so sorry._

You did your best to make the uniform look reasonable on your smaller frame. A lot of hidden knots in the fabric worked well for disguising a uniform possibly two times your size. Coupled with most of your hair hidden underneath the standard-issued hat; you could mostly pass for a scrawny marine. 

Timidly you peaked your head out from the bathroom to find the hallway was still empty. It appeared you were still in luck. You squeezed your way out of the bathroom, making sure the door was closed behind you. 

Now the question was, left or right? You’d been mostly lucky so far, hopefully it held up. So if you wanted to go the right way… you should choose right, right?

Even as you randomly wandered through the halls trying to find your escape, you had yet to come across another marine. It was way too empty. There should have been a lot more people here, where were they? It made your escape a lot easier but it created an annoying itch at the back of your mind. 

Your feet came to halt when you spotted a familiar stack of books through one of the windows of a room. Two of them, specifically the two you’d bought. 

After a careful inspection that the coast was clear, you pressed into the room containing the treasures of your trip. Light filtered in from a window that was shielded from view in the hallway. The familiar scenery of the outside world sparkled like diamonds through the glass. Beside that window was a door, by far the most inviting one you’d seen thus far. 

Never once breaking your gaze from the entrance, your hands distractedly pushed the books into the marines excessively large pockets. It was as if you were in a trance the way your feet sluggishly trekked forward. The metal handle felt cool beneath your clammy palms. Had you found a way out, with barely any trouble? It had to have been too good to be true. 

But when you finally opened the door; the fresh smell of clean air, the sounds of birds chirping happily in the air, the distant bustle of life, you were delightedly proven wrong. For a few moments, you were still, relishing in your regained freedom. 

Then the bomb of realization hit. 

You weren’t scot-free until you made it back to the ship. 

So which way was that again?

You were apprehensive about returning to the main area of town, but it was the only place with landmarks you might have been able to recognize. As of the moment you looked like a marine, so perhaps it’d allow you to weave your way through the town without any issues? If people recognized you as the person who’d been with Ace previously you’d risk getting caught again. So you were left to don the attire for just a little bit longer. You cautiously lowered the cap further over your brow attempting to shield as much of your features as possible. 

\------------------

Slowly you were starting to recognize a few landmarks amidst the town. The general direction of where you should be heading was starting to become more apparent by the minute. Town aside, would you be able to find your way through the forest without getting lost? 

As you came to another diverging path you paused. So far you’d been mostly confident with the way you were going, but both streets looked oddly unfamiliar. Had… you gone the wrong way? Or were you simply not remembering? 

Unease bubbled up within your gut. Spending more time wandering around only furthered the chances of running into trouble again. 

The clangor of shouts rapidly grew louder in the distance as you stood at the two separate roads. Before you had the opportunity to hide, or even think about which direction you should choose the noise was close enough to clearly make out what the racket was about. 

“He went that way!”

“Hurry after him!”

“Don’t let Fire Fist escape!”

 _Fire Fist_.

And all of it was coming from directly behind you. You whirled your head around to get a clear picture of just what was going on. 

You could now see why the marine building had been so empty. 

What must have been more than fifty marine officers were chasing after one sole figure clad in a bright orange hat, no shirt, and black shorts. 

Despite being the one to have caused the whole ordeal in the first place, at this very moment he was a blessing. At the very least, he would know the way back. 

“Ace!” You called out to his rapidly approaching figure. 

Perplexion filled his narrowed gaze as his head tilted slightly trying to figure out why a marine had sounded so familiar. As he neared closer and your countenance became clearer his face lit up with the dawn of recognition. 

“Oi, y/n!” His cheeks were tugged upwards into a wide smile. He looked way too happy for someone being chased by dozens of marines. 

Your own feet began to propel you forward as he fast approached. 

It wasn’t long before he’d managed to catch up to your stride, his own slowing ever so slightly to keep up with the pace your shorter legs offered. 

“Did you decide to become a marine?” His tone sounded genuinely curious. 

“Of course I didn’t! This is all your fault!”

“My fault?” 

“Thanks to you they thought I was a thief. Did you even plan to pay for anything from the start?! This is why pirates are horrible!”

If you hadn’t been running for your life you would have ended him right then and there. 

“Oh. I must have forgot. My bad.” A light-hearted chuckle escaped as if he’d made nothing more than a simple mistake. 

“How do you just _forget_ to pay??”

You were going to kill him. You were definitely going to kill him. 

“FIRE!” 

The raucous sound of gunshots filled the air, the ground beside you becoming peppered with holes. 

“They’re shooting!” The words came out a strangled mixture of a yell and a screech. 

The man running beside you didn’t seem phased at all, meanwhile, your thoughts were a constant stream of _I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die._. 

Death by being littered with bullet holes over a few stolen dumplings. How had you gone so astray in life? 

You pivoted your head to glance at the marines, guns raised, ready to fire again. This time you were done for sure. 

Deafening shots rang through the air once again. A forceful grip took hold of your wrist, yanking you sharply to the right and you desperately tried to keep balance as you stumbled over your flailing legs, yanked out from beneath you by the sudden change in direction. Just when you thought you’d finally regained balance; you were once again forcibly pulled in another direction. 

This time your back collided harshly with stone, and what minuscule amount of oxygen that had been in your lungs clawed out from your throat with a wheeze. Your eyes shut tightly, wincing at the force of the impact. Despite the pain that crawled through your back; your neck and head had felt oddly cushioned by something soft sandwiched between your skull and the wall. 

Long lashes fluttered open, revealing the panicked doe-eyes beneath them. 

“Are you alright?” A low and husky voice, barely even a whisper broke from his lips, only a few meager inches from your ear. Breath caught in your throat, the same heat that traveled from his voice and caressed your ears filling your cheeks with increasing ferocity.

His head was right beside yours, and you could count every freckle dotted along his cheeks. One of his hands had wrapped behind your neck, serving as the cushion between the wall and your head. His bare torso hovered protectively over yours, as you both were squished against the wall behind the shade and cover of a few wooden crates. 

Every breath he took sent a ticklish shiver coursing through your spine. Your heart pounded widely in your chest, and you could no longer tell if it was the running that caused it or something else entirely. The sounds of yelling and running faded in the distance as all of your senses hyper-attuned to the bubble of a world Ace and you currently shared. 

Electricity flowed from the places your skin would touch with a mind-numbing rush of lightning into your brain. The spot where his hand was still wrapped around your wrist burned with fire set on droughted grassland, unbridled and raging. 

The heat radiated from his body, spreading into yours and you were sure your temperature had risen a few degrees. His scent filled your nostrils; ash mixed with sunkissed skin intermingled with the salty sheen that coated his skin. 

You were fine but, your throat felt so dry like you’d been left days in the desert without any water. 

“I… I’m fi-” His digits weaved their way into your hair, as his body pressed even closer to yours. You could feel the tension that filled his muscles as the sound of men rushing through the street reached its peak. You were close enough to clearly make out the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. Why was your heart pounding so wildly? The air was growing increasingly hotter and you were sure any moment you’d combust. Was it Ace generating all this heat? 

Both of you remained silent for what felt like eons, despite likely only being a few minutes. 

As the sounds soon faded his fingers finally released from your wrist as his other hand slid out from behind your head leaving an all too noticeable absence of heat. 

He offered a hand towards you after he’d stood up and straightened himself out. You could only stare at it dumbfounded.

You _knew_ you were supposed to be filled with rage at this man. You needed to get angry, scold him and kick his butt into the ocean. Yet, it seemed your nerves had fried in the heat; any resolve you’d once had evaporated like a drop of water in a sea of desert sand. 

There was a dazed look in your eyes as your fingers mindlessly wrapped around his own as he pulled your body up. 

“You okay, y/n?” His brows furrowed lips straightening into a tight line. 

Coherent thoughts failed to form, and your emotions were snuffed out by a heavy blanket of exhaustion. 

You no longer felt anything but tired. The adrenaline had faded from your system taking your strength with it. You weren’t even sure how much longer your weary legs would willingly support you. 

“Can we go back to the Moby Dick?” 

The dejection in your voice did little to ease the ravenette’s concern but he led you forward with a moderate pace you could keep up with. The silence on the way back painted the air with a somber tone.

Even when the Moby Dick finally came into view, it did little to ease the turbulence that coated the inner workings of your overactive mind. 

Calls of curiosity and greeting were lost against deaf ears as you stepped aboard the ship. Most seemed to be directed at the marine attire you still donned; you didn’t even have the energy to lift your gaze, let alone respond. 

Your first and only destination was that of the warm embrace of your bed. When your body finally sunk into the mattress the enervation finally hit in full force. Despite your lethargy-ridden bones, sleep did not come easy. 

Was the marine you hit okay? What if no one found him? He surely had a family… friends. A life just as complex and meaningful as your own. The thought that you could have possibly ended it was sure to shatter your weighted heart. 

The thoughts continued to intrude, sleep impossible for what felt like hours on end. 

Ace had quietly watched your retreating figure, there was a weight in his gut, and darkness soon loomed over his face. Was someone like him only capable of making others unhappy? The thought hung over him like he’d been submerged in the sea. 

\-----------------------

The morning after hit like a truck. Your legs ached, the body’s way of telling you you’d worked them too hard the day before. A headache threatened to split your skull, and you knew far too well it’d been a lack of proper hydration. Dirt and dried sweat clung to you in an abhorrent second skin. 

The first order of business was definitely a shower… and maybe some water. 

Something about the way the warm water cascading down your skin brought a sense of clarity as clear as the droplets that riveted down your torso. Guilt, anger, sorrow, embarrassment; those had definitely been the main driving emotions you’d had yesterday, there’d been no doubt about that. 

But there was also an _excitement_. It was disgusting to think you’d found any sort of elation in what had occurred yesterday. But the exhilaration after living when you’d surely thought you’d die was unmistakable. Running for your life even seemed to hold a vague amount of charm. 

You sunk to your knees, hands combing back the slick strands that clung to your face. 

What was happening to you? Why had something so dangerous elicited such foolhardy excitement? 

Was this what it meant-- to be a pirate?

\-----------------------------------------------------

Breakfast aided immensely in restoring your lost strength, and Thatch had been kind enough in letting you off the hook for today’s morning training as long as you’d agreed to tell the story as to why you’d been wearing a marine uniform when you’d gotten on the ship the last night. 

A chin propped up against your hand, eyes lazily scanning the mess hall. Nonchalantly you spoke to the blonde sitting across from you. 

“Where’s Ace?” 

Marco shifted his gaze to you and paused pondering the question. 

“He might be at the rear of the ship. That’s where I saw him headed earlier, yoi.” 

You hummed, finishing what was left of your breakfast before heading towards that very direction. 

Truth be told, you weren’t feeling as frustrated as before when the matter had first taken place. Granted you were still angry, but you no longer felt the burning animosity of a thousand suns. 

Probably more along the lines of ten, or twenty suns. And there he laid, skin soaking up the heat of the one that hovered overhead. 

His hat was drawn over his eyes, and you were unable to tell whether the man was asleep or awake with his fade hidden underneath the orange cap. His arms were crossed beneath his neck, supporting his head as he sprawled out in the sun. The steady rise of his chest was the only sign he was still breathing. Raven hair shifted in the breeze, reflecting the light.

You faltered. 

What did you want from him? Were you simply here to scold him? Why were you even bothering? 

_Why were you so relaxed?_

Your fingers balled into fists as you tried to find the proper explanation for the strange way you were feeling. When nothing came to the surface, your fingers went limp against your side. 

Perhaps it was fine to simply ignore all the complicated stuff for now. 

You walked towards him, sending a rough kick to the side of his shoulder. It wasn’t a violent kick, but certainly enough to even rouse someone like him from slumber, were he sleeping. 

His lips jerked downwards as one of his hands trailed out from beneath his head to pull the hat from his face. A look of annoyance melted into one of surprise before settling into something that almost looked _guilty_. Despite the smile that was etched on his face, the dark hues of his eyes told a different story, a different emotion. 

You’d noticed it often, the way his lips seemed to betray the emotions held in his eyes. In a way, he was like you. Was that why you found it so hard to hate him? 

Your lips twitched, and you sent another kick into his forearm. Your expression dulled, and your feet continued to pelt into the man until he finally stood up. 

“Oww. Oww. Jeez, you’re relentless.” His hands rubbed at the places your feet had connected.

“Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me yesterday? I thought I was going to be _arrested_.” 

You crossed your arms grumbling underneath your breath. 

“You deserve to be shoved into the ocean.” 

“Was that why you decided to join the marines? So that you couldn’t be arr-” A heavy fist was slammed against his shoulder, using as much force as you could muster for the blow. 

“I didn't join the marines!” 

Your headache was going to return at this rate. You slumped down to your knees, hands sliding up into your hair. 

“I could have killed someone. I don’t… even know if he’s okay.” 

“Killed someone? What are you talking about?” 

Your eyes lifted up towards Ace, hands sliding down to rest just below your nose and guilt-ridden eyes bore into his.

“I hit a marine with a toilet.” 

“....You what?”

\----------------------------------------

Yep. It was definitely time to accept your losses and jump into the ocean. 

“Don’t worry about it. Those guys are really hard…… headed.” Thatch struggled to get the words out through tear-streaked laughter. 

You felt _mortified_. 

Thatch hadn’t been the only one. Most of the people you’d explained the story to were currently on the floor trying to suppress the laughter that wracked their bodies. 

Sure it wasn’t exactly… a normal way to attack someone. There wasn’t anything else you could think of at the time, and you were absolutely sure you would have been arrested if you hadn’t escaped. In time you’d probably be able to find it as hilarious as they did, but currently, you just felt humiliated. 

“Stop laughing.” Your body curled inward attempting to withdraw into yourself and out of existence. 

Ace looked like he was about to asphyxiate from the lack of oxygen to his brain. At this point, you hoped he did. 

Jozu slammed a hand into your back, and you doubled over from the brute force of the blow. Even if he was trying to do it gently, his hand was practically as big as you. 

“You’ll be taking out entire fleets on your own in no time, y/n.” 

“I don’t want to.” You whined weakly. 

On what planet would having explained everything been a beneficial idea to you? 

Not this one. The pity you’d wanted coming in the form of them crying from the hilarity of it all. 

“Maybe y/n can throw a couple of our toilets at the sea kings when we go through the Calm Belt. That’ll keep them away!” 

Horrendous joke aside, did they just say…?

“Calm Belt?” Instantly you’d perked up. Even you knew Calm Belts were uncrossable. They lined both sides of the Grand Line, so that no one could go in except through a certain route at the Red Line. Full of vicious sea kings and no wind to push your sails. It was a place no man could go through. 

“We’ll be crossing it tomorrow once we’re finished resupplying here.” The pirate said matter-of-factly. 

Were… were they serious? Your jaw went slack at the idea they’d simply cross it.

“Aren’t… Calm Belts uncrossable? No one can get into the grand line very easily because no one can cross them. Aren’t they full of sea kings and no wind?” 

Surely they were joking. 

Thatch had been the first to catch onto your astonishment. 

“It’s not easy, and essentially impossible for rookies. This is the crew belonging to the strongest pirate in the world though, you didn’t think sea kings would scare us did you?” 

Your mouth hung agape. Everything you thought you knew about the Grand Line, about pirates, they seemed to be determined to shatter it all. 

“As for no wind, that’s what the paddles are for.” 

Despite their lax tones, you felt anything but.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I just... [wheeze meme] @ hitting marine with a toilet. I laughed so many times thinking about it.


	6. Calm before a Grand storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever. aaaah.
> 
> I'm sorry about this chapter, I definitely feel it was pretty poorly done but my braincell will die if I try and work on it any further OTL (and I only have the one so it'd be bad if I lost it)

The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. It was a small room, only slightly larger than your own. A few wooden bookshelves lined the walls, disorderly and disarranged. It was one that saw frequent attention to the books it held. Beside it was an open cabinet, various medical equipment, and medicines strung through it. A decent-sized desk was set across you, hastily scribbled notes beside a half-opened book. Flowers you’d never seen were drawn on its pages; likely information on types of medical herbs beyond your area of knowledge. You sat with your legs dangling off the infirmary bed, hand extended outwards, letting the only other person sharing the space with you inspect it. It stung, but it definitely wasn't serious, even you knew that. 

"It's not bad. I'll bandage it just in case but I think you'll be fine." The ever amiable Kana offered a comforting smile, slender hands making quick work of the burn. 

"I told Thatch I was fine but he insisted I get it checked." You grumbled, eyes shifting away from Kana's face. 

"Well, it's good to be safe. He made the right call." For a moment you turned your attention towards her before your sights settled back on the wall. Mahogany wood; scarred from generations of use. It was the same walls everywhere you looked, but currently, you were looking at it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. 

"Stop looking so glum. I bet you got burned because you were worrying about things you don't need to worry about instead of focusing on what you were doing." With her deduction being so close to the truth your body flinched. She was way too keen about things sometimes. Or were you just that easy to read?

"Looks like I'm right on the money." She giggled, releasing the grip on your freshly bandaged hand. 

"That's not-" 

Warm hands were suddenly placed on either side of your cheeks, gaze forcibly pulled towards the nurse. Try as you might to avoid looking at her, she wasn't going to let you have your way. Forced to lock eyes, all excuses and lies evaporated from your mind.

"We're friends, aren't we? If you don't wanna be honest with yourself that's fine, but you have to be honest with me." 

What were you supposed to do in this situation? 

"I…" Shifting backward you attempted to gain a bit of distance between the two of you and escape the grasp of her hands. 

Truth be told, even you weren't entirely sure what to make of your emotions. It was such a convoluted mess you didn't want to acknowledge them.

"Kana… why did you become a pirate?" It was odd. Such a kind and caring person, it didn’t make sense for them to be a pirate. 

Her eyes seemed to fill with a depth that betrayed the typical convivial air about her. You'd never seen her make such a face before. Was it an insensitive question to ask? 

"See. You're making that face again. Stop worrying." She offered a comforting close-eyed smile. It really did seem to ease that worry that had begun to build up. It seemed you were an open book, at least to her.

"I don't mind telling you but…" She leaned back into the chair, crossing her legs with a discerning stare. 

"Why are you asking? Do you regret coming onto the Moby Dick?" 

"No! That's… not it. I just…" Instantly you'd denied the accusation. If there was one thing you could be sure of, you didn't _regret_ coming onto the ship. So what was that tug in the back in your mind? What exactly was that it was bothering you? 

There was a hint of doubt that graced her features but eventually, she gave into your frantic silence with a sigh. 

"Slave." 

This time you were laser-focused on the female. Your mouth hung agape slightly at the sudden word. 

"I'd been a slave for most of my life, but..." A bittersweet smile played on her lips.

"Whitebeard saved me. And not just me. There were a lot of people he saved that day." 

Kana was a slave? The idea seemed ludicrous. Were slaves actually a thing that happened? The idea left a sour taste on your tongue. 

"You were a slave?"

She nodded. 

"My parents had sold me when I was about ten. I wouldn't exactly say they were very parent-like though." Her brows creased, the smile becoming more forced as her face contorted with an unspoken misery. 

"I bounced between owners a few times but, about five years ago I was in a facility with a bunch of other slaves. We were being auctioned off. And then he showed up."

Ever so slightly, her perplexion began to light up again. 

"Whitebeard declared the island as his territory, and that no one was allowed to have slaves, or sell them there. He freed all of us."

Hearing her talk about it so openly was harrowing. The idea that there was such a dark underbelly in society was something no one wanted to recognize. A cool sweat formed on your increasingly pallid skin.

"Some of us had places to go back to but a lot of us that didn't wanted to stay with Whitebeard; myself included." 

Never would you have thought she’d had such a backstory to her. She was so cheerful and carefree.

“Not only did he free us, he gave us a family. Being a pirate had nothing to do with it.” 

The room grew still, the gravity of her story threatening to pin you to the floor as you tried to process all the information. It wasn’t what you were expecting, the dismal backstory was a juxtaposition against her sunny disposition. 

Eventually, she spoke up once more. 

“I’m sure you’ve already figured it out by now but, pirates aren’t as black and white as the world might make them out to be.” Her face lit up as a thousand-watt smile pulled on her lips. 

Ever since you’d first gotten to know the Whitebeard pirates, you’d begun to learn as such. Maybe they weren’t exactly ‘good’ but, they weren’t evil either. Where would you come to stand in the line that separates good and evil? 

“Thank you, Kana.” Her willingness to share her history left you with a sense of camaraderie. 

“I didn’t do anything. I just hope my answer somehow helped you.” 

She was far too kind. 

“It did, thank you.” What were the other’s reasons for becoming pirates? In time could you learn them all? 

“If that’s the case then I’m glad. Try to be more careful though. You don’t want to get any burns worse than that one.” 

“I won’t…” Pausing, you hovered your hand over the handle of the door. 

“Are they really- are we really going to go through a Calm Belt?” If there had been one thing you were sure of, it was that the idea of going through something like a Calm Belt was an intimidating one. 

“Are you scared?” Her tone wasn’t mocking, merely inquisitive. 

“I’m not scared. Are we really going to be safe going through a Calm Belt though? They’re supposed to be filled with sea kings.” How was everyone so calm about it? 

“If that’s what you're worried about…” She brought a finger to her lip contemplatively. 

“Hmmm. Why don’t you hang out on the deck when we enter the belt? I think you’ll understand better after seeing, versus me or anyone trying to convince you verbally.” 

You eyed the brunette dubiously. 

“Trust me. Trust in your family.” 

When she said it like that, how were you supposed to doubt her? 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a completely different sight than normal. 

The people who’d normally seemed completely carefree had an edge about them, and all eyes were honed in on the encroaching mass of lifeless sea. It was surreal the way the waves suddenly stopped, the sea that lay ahead still as stone. 

Your arms were pulled tightly to your chest, tension filling every single fiber. 

“We’re really going to go through there?” At the moment it looked nothing more than a peaceful stretch of sea, but you’d heard the tales of monstrous men being conquered by the belts. No matter what anyone said, you couldn’t help the anxiety filling your gut. 

“How’s the hand?” A large hand found its way into your skull, ruffling the h/c locks. 

A narrowed gaze met his extended hand. 

“Like I told you, it was completely fine.” 

“A cook's hands are their life in the kitchen. You can’t afford to injure them.” 

“Yeah, yeah, Chef crazy.” You pried his hand from your skull, once again eyeing the horizon. Any minute now and you’d be entering the Calm Belt.

“You really don’t trust us, huh?” He scratched the chin near his goatee. 

“No one in their right mind would.”

A crude hand pummeled into the center of your back. 

“Hahahaha! In a way, I guess you’re right.”

Of course you were. 

...Any second now and you'd enter one of the most dangerous zones in the ocean, as far as your knowledge was concerned. 

Then you did.

The breeze that had caressed your face instantaneously stopped. The sound of waves was replaced with the hushed drum of paddles pushing into the surface of the water. An apprehensive stillness settled in your own heart, now painfully loud in your ears. You’d been so used to waves, to sea breezes, that the sudden lack of them was just as discernable as your own heartbeat vanishing from your chest. 

Officially, you were in the Calm Belt. And thankfully, no giant sea king had come to attack the ship just yet. 

The arms that had been so tensely clutched at your center began to ease up and go slack. 

“Were you expecting a bunch of sea kings to suddenly show up as soon as we entered?” The chef said grinning at you smugly.

“Kinda.” Even you hadn’t realized the slip of your tongue, and it was far too late to replace your honesty with a lie. 

“That only happens about… forty percent of the time.” Was he being serious? Or was it a joke meant to tease you? 

“I see.” Your tone was flat as you attempted to hide behind a facade of indifference. You weren’t going to let him get to you. 

And for a while, things were simply… calm. 

Hesitantly you’d stayed on the deck, observing the static sea. Asides from the clamor of the crew it was eerily quiet for hours. 

“Is that…?” With the glare of the sun, it wasn’t easy to make out the mass of land stretching out on the horizon. 

“Are we already leaving the Calm Belt? There’s an island…” You turned to Izo who’d been polishing a gun beside you, his gaze following the line of your finger. The beautiful man quickly grew unnerved at the sight. 

“y/n you should head inside.” 

There was something wrong. The way his fingers curled up tightly on the silver gun, jaw clenching like it’d been set in stone. Rather than heed his warning, once again your eyes trained on the approaching mass of land. 

As you neared it, you soon began to understand why Izo had been so on edge. 

What was once a speck of an island contorted into that of a mountain, green, and scaled. Waterfalls poured from it en masse as it rose further above the placid silver-lined sea. 

And then the mountain turned towards you.

The bones in your body disintegrated, turning to jello at the revelation. Vile bulging green eyes with dark black slits were set between a massive gaping mouth. White as desert-bleached bones, razor-sharp teeth as large as boulders lined its open maw. A mouth ready to devour its next meal, a large whale called the Moby Dick. 

While you’d always known sea kings were big; this had been on an entirely different level. 

_This_ was a sea king? Just like that, the ocean had become a spine-chilling nightmare you were now trapped in.

Regardless of how strong they were, there was no way they could fight something that big. 

“Iz...o?” The name was barely choked out as you sat shaken. 

The clamor of the crew grew louder, and you weren’t even sure if he would have heard you over the commotion. It wasn’t just you who seemed shocked by the immensity of the king, from what you could make out a few other pirates stood in utter disbelief. 

Hands were wrapped around your shoulders, as Izo did his best to ease you up. Your vision once again found itself focused on the creature now starting to blot out the sun as its body crept closer to the ship.

“Are they… really that big?” 

He shook his head. 

“First time I’ve ever seen one that massive.” 

You knew it. Going through something like a Calm Belt was ludicrous. Now you were probably going to be eaten whole by some giant sea creature and never be able to do anything worthwhile or even-

“ _Gurararara!_ What an overgrown brat.” 

The sheer power in his voice was enough to stop anyone's thoughts in their tracks. 

“Pops you should let us handle this, you know that you-” 

“Who do you think you are trying to order me around?” Gold hues narrowed intensely at the head cook.

The hulking captain tore at the cords that were peppered over his body, much to Thatch’s dismay and advice. 

Was Whitebeard going to fight it? 

You’d never actually seen Whitebeard in action, and the morbid curiosity was beginning to set in. 

And you weren’t the only one. Whitebeard had such an aura to him, it was hard not to be entranced even for long-time veterans of the crew. 

The air crackled with electricity, and everyone braced themselves as the beast bore its fangs to the Moby Dick. It lurched forward and you could no longer tell or worry if it would be your end. 

There was no epic clash of sword against scale, and it was hard to tell what the feeling that had washed over your body was. The behemoth froze in its path as if frightened by some unknown force. 

It was then you finally got to know why this man had been called the strongest. 

His body grew taut as his fists slammed into the air, which cracked like glass against a bullet at the force. 

The air _literally_ cracked.

The torrent that ensued afterward was stronger than any force of nature you’d ever seen. 

_With a single thrust of his palms he could create a tsunami._

That was his devil fruit; a power beyond anything you could comprehend. 

It seemed you still had a lot to learn in regards to the strength of this crew; the strength of a pirate. 

That giant sea king was no more than a fly to someone like Whitebeard. 

\-----------------------------------------------

Witnessing the sheer power your captain had possessed had done a great deal to ease some of the apprehension that had settled in your system about the Calm Belt. 

But, it could do nothing to alleviate the cumbersome worries built up from your own self-doubt. 

You’d entered a world where only the strong could survive, without having ever realized just how weak you’d been. Did someone like you belong here? Could you truly pass as a pirate, _and did you truly want to?_

Through countless hours of tossing and turning in your bed, sleep refused to come. 

You turned your body towards the wall of the room, where light filtered in through the dusty porthole. It appeared the stars were in full bloom tonight, millions of bright, burning suns. The idea of a walk below them was alluring, more than another few hours of sleepness hours in your bed. It would likely prove to be a much more peaceful endeavor than normal, considering the late hour of the night. 

You placed a light jacket over your t-shirt, and the long pajama pants would likely shield your legs just as well. 

It wasn’t too cold, especially considering the lack of wind. Yet without the sun, the air wasn’t overly warm either. It was a good idea to put a light jacket on, even if you weren’t planning on staying out on the deck for too long. 

The ship wasn’t as dead as you might have thought it to be, and many men were still out and about. You could only assume it was to keep watch. 

Moonlight painted the ship with a milky glow, and there was surreality to the way the silver night lined the sky-high masts. 

It’d been a whirlwind of happenings since the day you stepped on the ship, and there hadn’t been many times you’d taken the chance to simply stop and observe. Under the constant stream of thoughts, it was hard to, even when there had been a chance to rest. Maybe it was about time you tried to rid yourself of them. 

As you neared the bow of the ship, a familiar back came into view; whitebeard's jolly roger emblazoned over the flesh. He sat cross-legged, hunched forwards with his head resting on his right palm, arm propped upon his knee. He stayed fixated on the sea ahead, as if in a trance. It wasn’t until you finally stepped to stand right next to him he finally turned your way. 

“Oh? y/n, why are you here?” 

His eyes held a different type of intensity than they did in the day. The same color as the bottom of the sea… what laid at the depths of it? 

“I could ask the same for you.”

You took a seat beside him, pressing the soles of your feet together as your hands comfortably propped you up, hands hooked just below the bend of your knees. 

“All the commanders are taking shifts with watch. Can’t leave the ship unguarded.” 

Your body recoiled at the memory from the afternoon. It was true. If they weren’t vigilant, then everyone's lives could end up gone in an instant. Such was the threat the ocean posed to the unprepared. How did they go on with each day with so much to worry about? 

“Are you really considered a guard? How could anyone trust you to stay awake?” Despite the jabs at him, the words lacked their usual sting. 

“You really don't trust me do you?" 

"Nope." Almost instantly you'd answered, face deadpan as you did so. 

Even with the dulled sharpness of your words, it was enough to poke a small hole in that overinflated ego of his. Just like that, you watched him deflate ever so slightly, lips pulling downwards in a half-pout.

"I wouldn't fall asleep while on watch."

You hummed skeptically at his retort. In a way, you knew he wasn't lying but if there was an opportunity to poke fun at the man you'd take it. After what he put you through, he deserved a bit of teasing, right?

"Coming from someone who got a carrot stuck in their nose after passing out in their dinner isn't very convincing." 

Might as well milk it for all it was worth. Your mouth curved upwards with a smug smirk. 

"I don't see you fighting off sea kings." 

"Funny, I don't see you fighting off any either." You were the self-proclaimed king of talking down to cocky pirates.

He began to mirror your smug appearance. 

"If one did show up I'd beat it in one attack.” He had full confidence in himself, the type of person who truly believed he could do anything. 

The ravenette then turned his head towards you, face lighting up with a beaming smile.

“I wouldn't ever let anyone or anything hurt my friends." His eyes bore straight into yours as he said this. 

It caught you completely off guard. Your lips parted, eyes widening at the sudden declaration. Had Ace always seemed so reliable? Suddenly acting cool like that; if you weren't careful you might end up believing him. It was as if he’d known the worry clogging your mind, and attempted to settle it with his show of determination.

"Is that so?" You turned your head away, not wanting to be wrapped up in that pace of his. Despite the cool tone of your words, heat began to prick at your skin.

Silence settled over the both of you in a suffocating blanket. Your lethargic body was starting to become more apparent, but you had yet to find the willpower to get up. Instead, you curled your knees towards your body, wrapping your hands around them and hooking them together. You rested your head atop your knees, eyes fixated straight ahead. Perhaps you could find a better insight as to Ace’s reasoning for being here. 

"Ace why did you become a pirate?" 

Even without looking at him, you could sense the discomfort that permeated through him. His muscles grew taut, body freezing rigidly in place. Lips were drawn in a tight line, anguish clouded features that pricked at your heart in the few milliseconds your gaze drifted his way.

But it lasted only an instant. 

Like you'd seen so many times before, any shadows cast over his features were quickly replaced by a smile and overly cheery demeanor. 

You understood it. No one liked to feel vulnerable in front of others. It was rarely a pleasant experience. There was a darkness that loomed in his heart, one you weren't going to pry into. But you knew; the brighter the light, the darker the shadows grew.

"It was something me and my brothers promised." He said, melancholy lining his tone.

"Brothers?" You turned your head to the side, giving him your full attention. He'd spoken of Luffy before, but there was no doubt he'd used a plural just now. 

"Do you have another brother outside of Luffy?" 

Genuine curiosity had driven you to ask the question, but the way his smile seemed to loosen made you instantly regret asking the question. Your words were pointed daggers digging into the tender spots of his heart. Even if he tried to hide it, you were far too observant not to notice. 

"I did." 

Past tense. 

That was all you needed to know. 

“I… see. Sorry.” 

An awkward silence filled the air, thick enough to cut with a knife. 

The lull in your conversation left your mind to wander freely, hanging to all the minor details, every minuscule shift in the corners of his smile, or shadows that had been cast over his vision. Try as you might to gain a clear picture, the puzzle that was Ace was still missing far too many pieces. 

It wasn't long before your thoughts began to dull, a hazy fog shrouding your mind. Eyelids hung heavy as they fought to keep open. By the time you'd realized the weariness in your bones; your consciousness had been far too faded to act upon it. And soon sleep sunk its fangs into your body as you slipped into its embrace. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Without the normal thrum of waves against the hull and wind against sails, even the most minute of sounds was easy to take in, like the breathing of the one who'd sat beside him. 

He didn’t typically mind silence, but tonight it hung heavy. Yet neither of them seemed capable of lifting the weight. So he simply sat, dark eyes fixed on the still waters ahead. He had a feeling they wouldn’t be dealing with any sea kings tonight.

Beside him, the pace of the girls breathing seemed to slow, enough to warrant a swivel of his head towards the curled figure. The hands that had been wrapped around her knees seemed to be loosening by the second, till they all but broke apart. She slumped, body teetering to the side before gravity gave way, and her shoulder collided into Ace. His left arm reacted swiftly, catching her around the other shoulder before she could slip and fall to the floor resulting in a half-hug from the ravenette. 

She’d fallen asleep? Her once bright e/c eyes were closed, long lashes casting soft shadows against her cheeks in the moonlit glow. When she was awake, she’d always had such a fierceness to her and a bite that almost backed up her bark. But now; it was an entirely different story. In a way he’d almost forgotten, she wasn’t like most of the pirates aboard the ship. Small, breakable. In that regard, the worry she seemed to hold for the sea and the world they’d entered made sense. But…. 

“Who’s falling asleep now?” He whispered through a suppressed laugh. It was amusing to see her look so docile for once. 

Soon Jozu would show up to relieve him, and he would also be able to catch some much-desired sleep. In the meantime, he scooted closer, so that she’d naturally lean on him without him having to hold her up, nor have her lay on the cool wooden flooring. 

When the hulking giant finally arrived, Ace scooped up the dozing girl ignoring any inquisitive glances the few people who were awake gave him. After gingerly depositing her in bed, he made his way to own, promptly passing out once he'd dove into his bed. 

That night your dreams were kind and warm, surrounded in a field of brightly blooming sunflowers.


	7. Some flowers for a pepper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long chapter. There are a few parts of it I'm pretty happy with, some maybe not so much. I didn't want to take another week to edit and revise it though. Hopefully it's enjoyable nonetheless. c: 
> 
> Please do let me know what your thoughts are!

The chaotic sounds of pans clamoring, food sizzling, and vegetables being chopped filled the now cramped kitchen. The smell of freshly cooked meat hung in the air, teasing the taste buds of any pirate unfortunate enough to get an early whiff of today’s meal. 

Bodies lined the tables and stoves, each person intensely focused on their task at hand. Occasionally the shout of someone's name would reverberate through the air, with an affirmative huff in response following it. There was no need for context between the cooks here. They worked in tandem with each other like well-oiled machines. Meanwhile, you were a rusty gear, stuttering your way through the kitchen.

As the days went on you found a better grip on the jobs you had to carry out, though it did naught to ease the strain the grueling work had on your limbs. While you thought you'd had pretty decent stamina, that idea had come shattering to the floor within the first day of working in the kitchen. These men were a different breed, and it would be a long while to come before you'd be able to keep up with anyone. 

In a back corner, as far away from the chaos as one might manage, you sat perched on a small wooden stool. Beside you lay a large metal bowl, peeled spuds towering inside. Opposite of the bowl was a barrel now filled with the former skins of the freshly peeled starches. The task was nearly finished; only one potato was left. 

As your hands slid the peeler across the final strip of waxy golden skin, your cramping digits cried out with joy. The number of potatoes tirelessly peeled had to have been over a hundred at this point. But you were finally done! And of course, no sooner had you finished did that goateed, grin-wearing, slave-driving head chef hunch over you and your equally pitiful pile of peeled spuds. 

"Done already, huh? Ready for the next job?" As usual, rest was the one thing not on the menu today. 

A feeble hum clawed its way out from your throat. 

You probably weren't, but what did that matter? 

"Don't worry. Your kitchen work is done for today. I need you to deliver this tray to the office right beside the large infirmary on the left side of the hull. After that… you'll probably have to take some things to pops." He bore a bright smile, but there was a glint in his eyes. 

It was an odd request, to say the least. And in a way, it felt like he was belittling you. You weren't as weak as to not be able to handle another job. Why were you playing delivery boy? His large hands ushered a trayed plate of food towards you. Cooked meat steamed beside a vibrant array of fresh vegetables that glistened in the light. They'd probably been procured from the previous island where Ace had secured himself as the most annoying member in the crew to you. And yet you...

While you were curious as to what had happened after you'd dozed off the other night-

Even the thought brought a familiar burning sensation crawling up your face. You'd definitely fallen asleep right there in front of him, but you didn't have the guts to ask how you got back to your room and who had brought you there. Somethings were better left in the dark, and you were sure this was one of them. 

"Bring this to the office...and then I'll deliver something to Whitebeard?" Cautiously you took the tray into your grasp, making sure to get a proper hold on it. The last thing you wanted was to drop it and look like a fool and further Thatch giving you menial tasks. 

"Yep! Don't drop it." 

"I won't, I won't." You grumbled, already halfway out of the door. 

You knew exactly where you were supposed to take it. After all, you were only there just the other day for a burn of little importance. Just why were you delivering a plate of food there though?

Rounding the halls you soon found your destination, a large oaken door now blocking your path. 

Without your hands free to do the job, it resulted in lightly kicking the door with your feet. 

With a creak, the door shifted open. Whoever had last gone through here hadn't fully shut it. 

Behind the door was the same infirmary as before, but this time it wasn't Kana who sat in the chair at the desk. A figure you vaguely recognized sat, one hand propped up on his chin, the other scrawling something in a tattered leather journal. His lips were pursed in deep concentration, completely absorbed in the material he was writing about. Eyes the same color of well-nourished moss sat hidden behind a blue mask, reminiscent of those you'd see at carnivals. Even with the white lab coat over him, his well-built physique was easy to recognize. You'd seen this man before, no one would forget such an odd mask, but it'd been nothing more than passing. As to who he was, you hadn't a clue. 

"Ahem." You cleared your throat in an attempt to garner his attention as you pressed closer to the hunched figure. 

Long and bulky fingers stopped abruptly, the notes he'd been so focused on writing now close enough to make out. Flowers and herbs drew beside mostly illegible medical descriptions. 

"Uhm. Sorry. You're…. y/n right?" He turned in his chair to face you directly. You felt a little guilty he'd known your name, while you had yet to learn his. 

"Yeah… Thatch told me to bring this plate here. I'm assuming it's for you." 

He blinked in surprise, eyes roaming towards the plate. 

"Oh. Was it lunch already? I wasn't even paying attention." 

The masked man accepted the freshly cooked lunch with a genial smile. Unwittingly you returned a similar one. 

"He also said something about bringing something to Whitebeard?" His hands were already outstretched, grabbing an object before you’d even had time to finish the sentence.

"Right here." From one of the shelves, he procured a large bottle filled with an amber liquid, that sloshed with the movement. For a few moments, you stared transfixed at the container before eventually, you reached out to grab it. 

It must have been easy to read your face, as he spoke soon after you’d taken it into your grasp. 

“It’s medicine. Make sure he drinks all of it. He’ll probably make less of a fuss if you bring it to him instead of one of us though.” He stated matter-of-factly, stabbing a small tomato with his fork, bringing the succulent veggie into his mouth. Some of its juices dribbled from the edge of his mouth as he bit into it, but he was quick enough to catch it with a swipe of his finger. 

“Got it…” Why were you delivering medicine? Just what kind of fuss would he make about medicine? 

His attention turned back to the notebook, scribbling a few more notes while continuing to take bites of food into his mouth. 

Thankfully you weren’t a cat, you’d have died ten times over had you been. 

"What flowers are those? I've never seen them before." You pressed closer to him, peering over his shoulder at well-sketched flora. 

"They're a special species local only to the island we'll be stopping by soon. It's known as the island of flowers; Lilia. Quite a few say it’s the most beautiful place in the Grand Line. There's a lot of plants there that are really good for medicine, I was trying to write it down so I knew what to look out for." He spoke, not once tearing his eyes away from the notebook. 

An island of flowers didn’t sound half bad.

“Oh, by the way…” You paused, before leaving the room. 

“What was your name again?” 

“Deuce.” 

The masked man called Deuce. 

_What a peculiar person._

You ruminated on the knowledge of the upcoming island, and your newly introduced comrade as you winded your way through the ship before you found your spot in front of the captain's quarters. You were granted access in, where you delivered the liquid medicine to your hulking captain. He drank it without much issue, albeit muttering about how it tasted like crap. While there were questions you still wanted to ask him, now was not the time. You'd left the room just as swiftly as you'd entered.

\----------- 

The passage into the Grand Line was a complicated one. Anticipation grew and spread its claws into your systems just as deep as the dread. 

It felt like cheating. 

Many pirates died or suffered greatly trying to reach it, and many more perished somewhere along the voyage. Yet here you were, a fledgling catching a ride with one of the most renowned crews in the world. You didn’t belong here. Any sort of excitement would soon be snuffed out by the ever-present guilt. The two would mingle and intertwine leaving your stomach knotted and heavy. 

Distraction was your only savior.  
\----------------------------------------

Heavy limbs groaned and creaked audibly as you nearly collapsed onto the sun-heated floorboards. The sun would soon set, taking the warmth along with it. But for now, you relished in the comforting feeling of the heated wood against your skin. 

The work was getting more demanding, and while you were thankful Thatch was starting to integrate you into being a full-fledged cook, you weren’t entirely sure how long your body would hold out. Willpower aside, there was only so much you could force a body to do before it shut down. There still hadn’t been enough time to develop the fundamental element to working for a crew like this; muscle. Perhaps it was about time you tried training? 

“Oi, y/n!” A familiar voice grated against your ears. 

So long, solitude. 

You rolled onto your side, weary and irritated eyes settling onto the tall figure standing before you. At the very least, he was serving as a wall to blot out the sun, body dimmed against the bright light. Even with his countenance darkened, you already knew he’d be sporting that signature grin. Though you’d managed to avoid him for a few days since that night- there was no doing it forever. 

Try as you might to hide behind the facade of annoyance, just like clockwork, that familiar burn etched its way into your cheeks. 

You still hadn’t the courage to know what happened after you’d fallen asleep. 

“Feels like I haven’t seen you in a few days. How’s it feel to be in the Grand Line?”

He sat down, crossing his legs. Without his body to block out the blazing light above, you were forced to bring an already exasperated arm to hover above your brow. In hindsight, turning away would have been the better choice.

“Same as before.” You said with an indiscernible lie. 

“Not even a little excited?” His head tilted slightly as he asked. 

“I don’t have a reason to be.” He stared silently. 

You heaved a sigh, further explaining. 

“I’m not like you pirates who had the dream to come here, sail the Grand Line. I never had any sort of ambition like that.” You pushed yourself up to a seated position but left your back turned to Ace, and the soon to set sun. 

“It’s not like I regret coming aboard but, I don’t hold whatever it is that makes pirates so excited to be here. I’m here. I’m me. And that’s it.” 

Having vocalized your thoughts for the first time left ice lingering on your tongue. It might have been the first time even you came to understand what it was you were feeling. That muddled mess was now becoming clearer. Why were you being so open about it though? 

“Anyways…” 

“Why don’t you come with me when we dock tomorrow?” He interjected, tone stuffed with joy as if to combat the sour mood your words had woven into the air. 

“Wha...” 

“I promise it’ll be fun.” He stood up, now walking to stand in front of you. A large palm pressed his hat further up his brow, revealing bright and promising eyes. 

The saliva caught in your throat, mouthing going dry. It was a few moments before you could muster your composure. 

“...Fun as in almost getting me killed again? That kind of fun? Fun as in stealing food?”

He cracked a laugh at your bitter tongue, not taking it to heart in the slightest. 

“There isn’t a navy base close to here so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Plus it’s a really peaceful island.”

You narrowed your gaze at Fire Fist. Not once did his smile waver. 

Really… had you always been such a pushover? 

“I swear if you do anything stupid I’m going to kill you.” 

“I’d like to see you try.” 

“What was that?” You shot up, but he’d already increased the distance between the two of you tenfold. 

“See you tomorrow!” 

Maybe you were just a glutton for punishment.

\---------------------------------------

A flurry of petals swirled and danced to the ground, carpeting the world below them with a pale magenta hue. A few had already begun to coat the deck of the Moby Dick, where they piled up like autumn leaves in the fall. Where the ship ended and the earth began would soon be indiscernible to the naked eye if not for the dip of where the gangplank connected down to the foot of the island. 

Lining the outskirts of the island were large trees with ivory bark that rose meters above the ground. With each passing breeze, the delicate aroma of flowers filled your nose ebbing away any worry that remained locked in tensed muscles. 

“Quite a sight, right?” A voice spoke out from behind as the speaker found a spot adjacent to you. A slight smile beamed just below an ocean blue mask. If not for his directed question, you might have remained glued to the spot for many more minutes to come. 

“Yeah. It’s…” You couldn’t even look away. 

“I felt the same way when we first came to this island. Even after everywhere I’ve been, I’ve never come across somewhere quite like it. Though…” The fingers of his right hand trailed to a turquoise book that peeked out from the side pocket of his open jacket. The ragged journal he’d been writing in the previous day was loosely clutched in his left. 

“There’s been a few that came pretty close.”

There were more places just like this one? Just what kind of place was the Grand Line, truly? Blush lips parted, but no sound escaped. The words remained robbed from your throat as you stood transfixed on the spot.

“Those trees are… huge.” Awe left your vocabulary lacking. 

“Liliace trees. They’re only native to here, and it’s where the island got its namesake.”

Deuce opened the ragged journal, flipping to a page where a sketch of a Liliace tree took up nearly half a page. 

“While the trees themselves don’t have any special properties; aside from the blossoms being quite sweet and used in a lot of cuisines here, there’s another flower that strictly grows at the base of them which can be used to make a really effective topical cream for burns.”

You shifted your gaze downwards towards the base of the tree. Flowers grew abundantly as grass, with such a vast variety of color they mirrored rainbows in the sky. The occasional splash of a bright cerulean, or wine red would settle atop the blossoms as butterflies found the nectar they desired before fluttering off to another nearby flower. 

It was the kind of place that no words nor photos would ever do it justice. Serenity was as prominent in the air as oxygen, and you were doubtful even the thorniest of pirates could keep their edges intact. You were no different. Even your own features had softened, the same tender warmth of the island beginning to blossom on your countenance.

“Deuce!” An arm was harshly slung around the masked man's shoulder by no other than the Fire Fist himself. 

“Takes you back, doesn’t it?” 

Your blossom-filled hues flitted towards the two. Curiosity once again ingrained itself into you, clouding over your vision. While Ace was friendly with many people, the way he interacted with Deuce felt different, deeper. It wasn’t hard to miss the faraway look that crossed their gazes. 

“I had to appease six angry cooks, and four angry stall owners thanks to you.” 

“Did you?” Ace turned his vision skyward, ruminating on the statement, not a hint of recollection graced his features, which prompted an almost inaudible groan from Deuce. The ravenette didn’t dwell on it long, before turning his attention towards you. 

“There’s a lot of places I can show you. I didn’t get to fully explore last time either, so I’m sure we’ll find some new ones.” The optimistic tone of his voice and bright grin only furthered a deep enrooted feeling of dread. There was no way hanging around him would ever turn out well. The small semblance of pity that contorted the lines of Deuce’s features only cemented the fact. 

“Ace! Come here for a second yoi!” The first division commander called out, as to what he needed Ace for? You didn’t need to know, nor did you care. 

Deuce took the small moment alone to slip you…. A wallet? Your brows furrowed, glancing up to the masked man with utter confusion. 

“You’ll need it.” Once you’d taken the brown leather into your palms you eyed both Deuce and the bulging wallet curiously. 

“It’s Ace’s.” Which meant this man had already planned on Ace attempting some dine-and-dash. 

“Seems his thievery is a common habit.” A few daggers were shot towards his painted back as he spoke with Marco. 

Besides the two, an occasional flash of light from beside the hull of the ship would shine out. With each passing wave, the blanket of petals would break apart, and the sea would signal out to the world that it was still here, before a fresh blanket of blossoms would coat it yet again. 

“I was left to deal with it more times than I can count.” His voice was thick with exasperation, a hand trailing to pinch at the bridge of his nose as he followed your gaze to the commander. 

It was then you knew. 

This man had gone through the exact same torture that was going anywhere with Ace. You’d found a new brother in arms. As much as you adored Kana, she never seemed to take your grievances seriously. Deuce on the other hand- something told you he’d willingly accept listening to the woeful misconduct Ace put you through. 

“I’ll likely soon share your pain.” 

“But he’s just not someone you can stay away from, regardless of all the trouble he puts you through.” 

Deuce shot you a small smile at this remark. 

It was true. The more you got to know Ace the more you’d noticed it. He seemed to have his own gravity, the kind that drew people in. It was something that ran much deeper than his friendly disposition and bravery. Maybe Deuce would know-

“Hey think they’ll have that one spicy flower dish still? What was it called…?” The ravenette’s conversation with Marco had already finished. He attempted to place a chummy arm around your shoulder as he had Deuce’s, but you swiftly dodged his arm, ducking under the incoming limb. 

Surprise shifted into that of amusement. 

“You’re getting quicker.” 

“Don’t patronize me.” 

After walking a few paces ahead of the two, you turned, attention turned towards Deuce. 

“Are you coming with us Deuce?” It would be nice to have another person to help keep a certain person in line. 

“I will after I’m done gathering a few plants from the island,” he turned towards Ace, “try not to cause too much trouble this time.” 

Ace brought a hand to the top of his head, pulling his hat up above the line of his forehead. 

“What do you mean? I don’t cause trouble.”

Instantaneously both you and Deuce interjected. 

“You do.” 

The lines of his cheek creased as his lips pulled downwards. There wasn’t arguing against the two of you disagreeing in tandem. 

\----------------------------------------------

Even try as you might hide it, there was no stopping the awe as you trekked further onto the island with Ace. The two of you had been going along a dusty dirt trail, lined by new and exciting new flowers each way you turned. Your favorite so far was the flower shaped like the head of a dog... if only it hadn’t smelled so rancid. It was a warning you probably should have heeded, but you never thought a flower could smell like _that_. 

“Any better?”

“I’m pretty sure the smell got stuck to the inside of my nose…” 

You groaned, pulling at the fabric of your shirt, stuffing your nose against it as if it would somehow help in removing the acrid scent. 

A completely futile attempt. 

“Oh. I know something that will help! Here try this.” He ushered a pepper, dulled red and wrinkled like a grape left in the sun. 

It didn’t _look_ very inviting, and you shot a dubious glance his way. 

“Trust me. Just take a bite and swallow it down quickly.” 

Could something like a vegetable really get rid of the smell? No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem likely. Then again, what did you have to lose? 

_You really shouldn’t have trusted him_

At first, it was no more than light heat. A mild sting to your tongue that while wasn’t pleasant, was bearable. 

_But the heat only grew._

From ember to fire, from fire to inferno. 

Till it all but felt you’d swallowed molten lava. 

Droplets of perspiration beaded on your skin and your breathing quickened as you tried to inhale the cool air, anything to ease the pain. 

But the flames continued to obliterate every nook and crevice in your mouth. 

Your body hunched forward and you fell to your knees as you tried to continue breathing through your cracked and dried throat. A glossy sheen clouded your vision before the dams soon broke, tears rolling down your cheeks. Your nose clogged with a similar substance, and the only option for breathing was left through the hellfire of your mouth. 

“Ace… _cough_ ...what…” The harder you tried to sputter the words the worst it began to hurt. The more time passed, the more your tongue blazed and went numb.

“What was… _hic_ ” And then the hiccups set in. 

Your fingers trailed up to your mouth as your body tried to fight the upheaval of the volatile substance. The surface of your skin began to feel cold under the coat of fresh sweat. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ace crouched below in front of you, oblivious to the torture he’d just put you through. 

“It’s… _cough_... fucking spicy.” Swiftly you shot up beginning to pace frantically, looking like a dog left in the heat. Nothing seemed to ease the burn, and at this point, even stuffing flowers into your mouth seemed a reasonable solution to ease the burn. 

The hiccups and coughing continued to ravage your sinuses until your body finally reached its breaking point. 

Heaving up what remained of a half-chewed pepper wasn’t pleasant, and the burn that lined your throat only grew worse having to experience the spice a second time, this time mixed with a hint of acid. 

All while you’d had eyes glued to you the entire time. 

Completely clueless and unfiltered concern that he had no right having. 

There was no energy left to be livid with him. Instead, you trudged forward, ignoring every sign of his existence. 

Just out of earshot he muttered, “maybe it was a bad pepper…” 

\-------------------------------------------------

“It got rid of the smell though, right?” 

“The smell was far better than that!”

“I eat them all the time, I really think you got a bad one.” 

“It’s because you’re used to eating them you don’t realize how spicy it is!” 

“They’re really not that-”

“ _Yes they are._ ”

“Well the spiciness and the smell are gone now though, so why are you still mad?” 

“I can be as mad as I want for as long as I want. You nearly killed me with that.”

“You can’t die from a pepper.” 

“Some say you can’t kill someone with a spoon but I’d like to test the theory on you.”

You huffed, attempting to keep your distance from the male. While he did seem to hold some remorse for his attempt at ‘helping’, it didn’t fix the humiliation or help erase the pain he’d forced your tongue and throat to go through. 

It was a shame, all the awe and appreciation you’d had for the island was filtered through the crimson lens of infuriation. You just wanted something cold… and probably sweet. 

As you continued along the dirt path, it opened up to a clearing, surrounded by the sky-high Liliace trees. The sweet fragrance grew stronger here, and wine-stained petals swirled to the ground like snow in winter. They peppered the tops of sun-kissed grass, yellowed, but not yet dead. Occasionally jutted between the blades were petals of cotton white blooming forth from bright amber centers. 

From up above bird-song rang high up in the trees, and occasionally you’d catch a spatter of vibrant feathers arching across the deep blue sky. This had been the first distinct change in the geography since you’d arrived, now able to soak up the sun's warmth as it kissed your skin. 

There was nothing but calm, until the jarring chime of human laughter reverberated through the field, soon followed by the sounds of tiny voices. 

“Marienne is the Oni!” 

“Quick, over here!”

“What if we climb the tree?”

“But then she can climb after us!”

“I found you guys! Better watch out!” 

More mirthful giggles reverberated as the small figures soon dashed through the open field. 

Four children, somewhere between the ages of thirteen to seven ran swerving and dodging as they tried to avoid the one who was it. 

The sight was cute enough to elicit a laugh from your spice scorched throat. 

They continued to chase one another, the Oni managing to get a few tags along the way before their attention had found its way towards you and Ace. 

There was a moment of silence as they seemed to hesitate on what they should do after seeing these two unfamiliar people standing at the entrance to their playground. 

Uncertainty shifted into that of elation, the eldest looking one, a boy with shaggy brown hair shouting a name you hadn’t expected to hear. 

“Ace!” 

“Ah! You’re right! It’s Ace!” A small girl beside him chimed in soon after before the hoard of children came dashing towards your _former_ companion’s side. If he could have even been called that, to begin with. 

They lined up around him, firing off questions incessantly. The ravenette had to take a few moments before the dawn of realization finally hit. 

“Oh! You guys are from… have you been eating well? Lots of really good food?” He crouched down beside them with a smile as bright as the sun. His large hands patted the tops of their skulls enthusiastically. 

“Mmm! Lots and lots of yummy food!” The smallest one grinned happily, bouncing as he tried to climb on the crouched pirate. 

“Momma even made a restaurant now. She makes a really yummy Liliace drink that everyone loves.” The eldest one nodded, hands extending out as he enthusiastically explained. 

“Yeah yeah! It’s super sweet!” The girl who’d just been Oni now spoke up, fingers clawing up to rest just below her nose as her eyes closed and cheeks bulged upwards as she shook her head at the thought. 

“You should come and see!” The second eldest now spoke, her hand wrapping around Ace’s as she attempted to pull him along. 

“Yeah, yeah! C’mon Ace!” All of the children were now relentlessly tugging on Ace, doing their best to drag the large figure wherever they pleased.

The smallest girl stopped for a moment, beady eyes meeting yours. 

“Are you Ace’s friend?” 

Were you? 

You were still pretty peeved at him forcing you to eat that god-awful pepper, but most of the time you were _kinda_ friendly. Until he managed to fuck something up, that is. 

“I-” 

“Yeah, she is!” He didn’t give you a chance to state your own answer. You shot a glare his way but otherwise didn’t deny the claim. 

“Then you can come too!” The small girl wrapped her thin fingers around your own, attempting to drag you along with the rest of the pack. You helplessly obliged. 

\--------------------------------------------------

“Wow… This is seriously the best thing I’ve ever drank.” You brought a hand to your cheek, lips pulling upwards as your eyes closed full of bliss. The taste filled your palate and spread in your mouth till it reached your heart. 

It’d been exactly the kind of drink you’d needed after such an awful event on the way here. 

“Is it helping the burn?” A woman with muddy brown hair pulled into a messy bun smiled at you from behind the counter. A few wrinkles lined the edges of her cheeks and forehead, but she retained a youthful glow about her. 

“It has. Ugh…. I can’t believe he’d ask me to eat something like that.” You brought the straw back to your lips, draining the milky pink substance from the glass. 

“Well don’t worry about paying. We owe him a great deal after all.” Her gaze drifted towards the window where Ace could be seen running around with the children from before, each one sporting a mirthful sunny smile. 

“Food he doesn’t have to pay for. A match made in heaven.” 

Beyond the glass Ace lifted one of the children into the air, twirling them around before switching to the next kid. 

It had been as believable as it was unbelievable. 

Then again, it fit the bill of someone so unpredictable. 

You couldn’t have imagined what it would have felt like to have been extorted like that for so long. And to suddenly be saved by no more than a pirate? 

It was a bitter tale, but one that was blessed with a happy ending, and it helped to show the male in a more positive light. 

Whether it had been on a whim, or out of concern for a hungry kid you might never know. It didn’t change the fact he’d gone out of his way just to send some corrupt group of thugs packing. Perhaps the most surprising fact though had been that he’d had his own crew not too long ago. 

The Spade Pirates. 

_What a fitting name._

Unwittingly the light in your eyes softened as you watched the children and the oversized child play. 

Little by little, more pieces fell into place. 

How long till you’d have the full picture? 

“y/n, Why don’t you bring these cookies out to them? And if you’re willing, how about you two stop by for dinner tonight. I promise I’ll cook up something really good for the both of you.”

“Ah…” She was really, truly kind. It caught you off guard to be extended such warmth, and benevolence. 

“It’s a really kind offer but I won’t be able to. I have my own job to do tonight.” As much as relaxing and having someone else cook the meal for you sounded, you weren’t about to shirk your work. 

“I can’t say the same for Ace though. You’d probably have to ask him.” 

“Is that so?” The corners of her lips turned downwards and it left you feeling a little guilty. 

If you were given the option, you’d come back to this place someday though. As a paying customer, of course. 

The door chimed in the air, the bell attached to it ringing as you stepped out of the shop. Behind the pale ivory building, the incessant cries of glee reverberated in the air. 

In the shade, you took a few moments to watch. 

The eldest son, Tenner had Aces hat atop his head. One that was obviously three sizes too large. Every few seconds he had to lift the cap up to keep it from falling over his eyes. 

The two girls Marienne and Lisha sat huddled together taking turns grabbing flowers from large baskets stuffed to the brim with a plethora of bright colors. They intertwined them with blades of grass, creating a loop of sorts. 

The youngest, a boy named Aether, sat happily on the shoulder of the beaming pirate. Tenner chased after the two, frolicking around as their feet kicked petals of unfortunate flowers into the air. They continued this for a few minutes until Ace stopped to stare, finally noticing the shadow propped up beside the building.

Looks like the time to interrupt their session with the promise of snacks had arrived. 

“Ms. Marchis wanted me to bring you guys these.” You removed yourself from the side of the house, stepping into the golden veils of sunlight. 

The children rushed towards you like a pack of wild dogs, grubby hands reaching up to grab at fresh baked cookies without a moment to spare. … _All_ of the children. 

“Ace don’t eat that many at once. They’re mainly for the kids.” You snapped at the hand that tried to grab the fifth cookie to shove into his jaw. 

“Tenner, Aether, help us finish these!” Marienne had grabbed two cookies, before finding a spot right back where she’d been, calling the other kids to help in whatever project she’d been invested in. The rest grabbed a few cookies to go, before plopping down beside her to help. All but one cookie remained on the silver platter. 

You took a seat yourself, sliding up against a smaller Liliace tree; perhaps only a few decades old. Up close, the bark smelled of vanilla, while the blossoms above it were a much more floral aroma. It was smelled just as delicious as the cookie that you'd placed into your mouth. From above the white light of the sun shimmered, weaving its way through fire-lined leaves and blossoms, a spotlight of sun occasionally tickling your face. 

Ace sidled up beside you. 

“Told you it would be fun.” 

“You nearly burned my tongue off. How is that _fun_?” 

“You’re still going on about that?” 

“Did you expect me to suddenly forgive you an hour later?”

“Well… it would have been nice.” He grinned, impervious to your glower. His skin was thicker than the trunks of the Liliace trees, and he always disregarded the consequences of his actions. 

This was absolutely the last time you went _anywhere_ with him. 

Nothing could convince you otherwise. 

“Ace, y/n!”

The four children soon ran up, Marienne and Lisha pressing a circlet of flowers onto the top of his head. Orange, yellow, and white blooms were interwoven into a base of emerald leaves and stems. It was a warm and cheerful crown that emanated the same energy he did. They beamed at their work now snugly weaved into his hair.

Ace, on the other hand, didn’t seem to feel the same elation receiving the gift.

His face shriveled, color festering in his cheeks at the sudden floral addition. Tangled in the mass of inky black hair, the flowers shone even more brilliantly than before. It only further highlighted the increasing blush over his face.

"This… it's really not something for me to wear." His hands trailed up to remove the circlet, but your nimble hands found themselves cemented over his before he could take it off. 

"Don't take it off. They worked so hard to make it for you." You said, admonishing him for attempting to do something as rude as reject a gift. Especially from kids as sweet as they were. Only a cold-hearted monster could do something like that. Plus; it was kind of amusing to see him look so flustered. 

Once you were sure he wasn’t going to try and remove it, you released your hands from over his. 

Not shortly after did a Lisha tug upon the fabric of your shirt, bright pools of caramel glimmering in the light. The look in her eyes bore straight into your heart with the sheer mass of innocence that was contained within them. Her tiny digits pushed forward another crown. 

This one was vastly different than the one they'd presented to Ace. The green base was peppered with varying shades of pink, white, and yellow. It had a delicacy to it, one you were sure wouldn’t suit you. But unlike a certain pirate, you wouldn’t let it phase your grateful acceptance of their gift. 

She pressed the crown atop your head, affixing to the h/c locks. 

“Thank you. It’s beautiful.” You beamed at the children, a smile straight from the heart flowing right through your lips. 

To be honest, it had been a long time since your heart had felt so full. Probably… not since before you’d come aboard the Moby Dick. Regardless of what Ace had tried to feed you, you were grateful for the chance to meet this family, and partake in such good food. 

A swivel of your head was met with Ace blatantly staring at you. 

It was unnerving, to say the least. 

“What?” You eyed the ravenette suspiciously. 

“The crown looks cute.” 

“Wha…” Your body froze, becoming as stiff as a glacier. 

“Don’t say stupid stuff.” Though you pretended to be serious, you could feel the heat rising in your cheeks. You shifted your weight, attempting to shield what you could from his range of view. 

No no no… think about it. He said the _crown_. Why were you letting your mind run wild like that?

“Yeah, it’s really cute on y/n!” Marienne giggled, taking a seat atop your legs. 

It was a great distraction from your inner thoughts at least. 

“It’s only because you guys made such a pretty crown. Besides, I’m sure you’d look a lot cuter in it.” Automatically your voice had softened. 

“I already have a crown. I made a lot yesterday. Wanna see them?” She looked so excited, she was practically beaming. 

“Sure. Why not?” She got up from your legs, and you stood up, dusting the various flora that had collected on your legs and shorts. 

You shot a glance to Ace, but he was already talking about some stories of the sea to Tenner, an adorable flower crown still snugly in place above his head.

\------------------------------------

You heaved an exasperated sigh, weary eyes looking at the now napping children. It’d been a long time since you’d played with kids this young, and in a way, you’d forgotten just how much energy they’d had. Somewhere along the way all four of them had joined you, playing with various toys and creating make-believe fantasy worlds. You played the evil dragon attempting to destroy the kingdom. Sure enough, you were thwarted by the two knights, princess, and… cat-horse? Six-year-olds certainly had an imagination, that was for sure. 

When you made your way down the steps, Marchis had been wiping the outside of a glass. The shop had just closed for the day. 

“Looks like they wore you out pretty well.”

“I don’t know how you could keep up with that on a daily.”

She laughed with a shake of her head. 

“They do a pretty good job of keeping each other entertained. Anywho… are you sure you can’t stay longer?” 

You fidgeted awkwardly. It wouldn’t be much longer until the sun set, and you’d have to help cook tonight's dinner. 

“I’m sorry.” 

For a moment you hesitated, before speaking. 

“Would you happen to know where Ace is?” 

“When Tenner and Aether came in they said he’d fallen asleep and didn’t wanna wake him up.” 

Pretty standard for Ace. 

“Gotcha.” 

Once more you took a moment to pause, right before you left. 

“Thank you. The food was really great. Your kids are super sweet as well.” Entirely what you wanted to say… you weren’t quite sure. But there was a gap that had gotten filled, and it was more soothing than you might have liked to admit. 

\---------------------------------------------

Behind the building and curled in the grass and flowers lay sleeping beauty himself. The flower crown was half-off his tangled mop of hair and his was back flat against the dirt.

His eyes were closed, but his mouth hung open as he attempted to collect flies. Only he could turn what would otherwise be a picturesque scene and make it so unsightly. 

You knelt down, picking at a few flowers, and stuffing them into his opened mouth. He twitched slightly but otherwise remained flaccid. 

_Hmmm…._

He deserved a little payback. 

You continued picking at flowers, stuffing as many as you could into his mouth. When you were absolutely sure no more would fit, and the ravenette had still not awoken, you took your last resort. 

It was time for him to stop and smell the flowers. 

Your own nose crinkled as you neared the same dog-shaped flower as before, plucking it from the stem before you made your way back to the _still_ sleeping Ace. 

Before you added your final touch, you took a few moments to rifle through his bag, and find what you were looking for. Not before getting scarred; why the hell he’d keep something like _that_ in his bag? Maybe searching through it wasn’t a good idea but… when you found the item you’d been looking for you were sure it’d be worth learning the horrors that were Ace’s pack. 

You crept back over to the sleeping figure, gingerly shoving the petals into his nose… and waited. 

_“Mlllllpphhh”_

He shot up wide-eyed with a powerful snort, projectile launching the flower petals that had been lodged in his nostrils... then there was the audible swallow. 

His face contorted, nose wrinkling as his mouth opened and he coughed and sputtered the remains of petals and stems. 

Now if that wasn’t a sight to behold. 

A hand you’d glued to your mouth broke open, laughter slipping through like water through a stream. 

Your sudden merriment at his situation earned you an incredulous glance from the pirate. 

“Was that you?” He coughed through scrunched vision. 

“Payback is pretty nasty, isn’t it?” Your eyes crinkled as your lips pulled upwards taunting him with your smug expression. 

“Did you have to put that in my nose…?” He spoke, mouth curling even further downwards as he gazed at the slimy petals beside his feet.

“Why don’t you just eat one of your peppers?” 

“I will.” He grumbled, hands fumbling through his bag. 

The shit-eating grin on your face only deepened. 

“You…” 

“Can’t find them? How sad.” 

You swiveled on your heel, turning towards the dirt road you guys had taken to get here. Chuckles continued to claw up your throat. 

“I’m...heading back to the ship. Marchis said you can eat dinner with her if you want.” You finally said through tightly spread lips, another onslaught of laughter overtaking you as you sent another glance his way. Oh man how good it felt to finally get some revenge. 

With a bit of pep in your step, you’d started heading back. That was one way to relieve the anger for his idiocy. While you'd expected Ace to head back to the restaurant, not shortly after you'd started walking he caught up to you with his sack slung over his shoulder.

“You don’t wanna eat her food? I thought you loved the snacks she made.” 

“I wouldn’t want to impose. She really does make good food though.” His grin only lasted a few seconds, before the acrid scent puckered his expression once again. 

You hummed in amusement. 

As the two of you made your way back he’d occasionally grumble or groan about the taste and smell in his mouth, and you more or less were able to tune it out. There was a bit of small talk that eventually landed on the kids. 

“They look a lot happier than when we first came here. I’m glad.” 

Your eyes were locked in on his expression. Lips curved upwards as a gentle glow filled his dark eyes. There was a serenity to his expression as if just for a few moments, he could let go of the darkness he seemed to hold onto. 

He really did care about those kids. As whimsical and hot-headed as he was, there was a gentler side too. 

It was a nice change of pace to have a semblance of a peaceful day around him. 

It was then you thought.

Maybe Portgas D. Ace wasn’t _that_ bad afterall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also sorry about how long it's been taking me to write these chapters. Part of it is attempting to write in a way I feel prouder of, and part of it is that I'm taking the time to go through and edit it at least once. Some of the other chapters I posted without even proof-reading ;;
> 
> As it stands it will probably be between a week to two weeks a chapter depending on how busy I am. On that note though, what would you prefer? More fleshed out chapters with more time between updates or quicker updates with less in them? 
> 
> Also definitely taking chapter name suggestions because I spent the last 8 hours simply writing and editing this and I couldn't be bothered to be more clever.


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